City Bus Shortage Paralyses Guwahati Commute during Panchayat Polls, Businesses Cope with the Pinch

Guwahati: While the city struggles through the second round of panchayat elections on May 7, Assam's capital city has brought daily life to a virtual halt for thousands of commuters. As more than 200 city buses have been requisitioned by the authorities for election duty, Guwahati's public transport system has been left in shambles, leaving office-goers, students, and small traders high and dry across major points.

Bus stations at major terminals like Khanapara, Jorabat, and Jalukbari looked deserted on Tuesday evening, as desperate travellers fought to procure alternative transportation. The shortage has not only kept the city's already limited app-based and auto ride services booked but also hiked fares nearly double in several instances.

"I waited for more than 45 minutes in the Jorabat Magic stand to reach the office and yet reached late," said Sunanda Choudhary, who is a regular commuter. "There were hardly any magic vans or autos, and Rapido rides are now doubling their fares."

Others also share the same frustration. In Beltola, another passenger complained, "It is the same during every election. City buses are my sole means of transportation, and with most of them off the roads, we are stranded or have to spend extra on private ones."

At least 200 buses have been withdrawn from regular service to help with election logistics, according to City Bus Association officials. "We have to follow orders from higher authorities," an association representative said. Requisitioned, too, are shared taxis commonly referred to as "magic vans," which further worsen the crisis.

While commuters bear the brunt of the shortage, small businesses and daily-wage workers are also facing ripple effects. Many shopkeepers and service providers in Guwahati’s commercial hubs report delayed or reduced staff attendance, leading to a drop in productivity and sales.

"Footfall has dipped by 20-30 per cent this week," said Abhishek Dey, owner of a mobile repair outlet in Fancy Bazaar. "Two of my employees depend on city buses. One of them has not turned up since Monday, and the other is late to work and leaves early because of the transport shortage."

"There is a definite economic effect when transport grinds to a halt like this," said Shalini Das, an economist from Guwahati. "Workers can't reach their workplaces, students are absent from school, and services grind to a halt. It all adds up. And for small firms that operate on thin margins, even a little bit of disruption is expensive".

No contingency plan to facilitate daily transport during the election period has been announced by the authorities. Although the use of public transport vehicles for election duties may be necessitated by logistics, the absence of alternative arrangements has attracted criticism from citizens and business leaders alike.

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"The government ought to have made temporary arrangements or raised app-based taxi allowances to fill the gap," said the Beltola Traders Association representative. "We witness the same issue every election, but no permanent solution."

With the polls anticipated to close within a few days, the city should be able to return to normalcy on public transport by the weekend. But for now, citizens are left to settle for fewer choices and more expense, something many people believe could have been avoided if the planning had been improved.

While Guwahati bears the brunt of democratic exercise, its people are paying a heavy price in terms of mobility and economic activity. The perennial transport crisis during election times has questioned administrative preparedness and the price of civic responsibilities on day-to-day life.

For the working class and business community of the city, the expectation is not only for buses to come back, but for a more reflective handling of public resources in the next elections.