Calcutta State Transport Corporation

2025-09-14T13:52:32Z

82.132.220.7:

{{short description|Public transport operator in Kolkata, India}}
{{For|reading about the current operator|West Bengal Transport Corporation}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}

{{Infobox Bus transit
| name = '''Calcutta State Transport Corporation'''
| logo = Calcutta State Transport Corporation logo.png
| logo_size = 150px
| image = State Bus in Calcutta (Ashok Leyland Janbus).jpg
| image_size =
| image_caption = CSTC Non AC Bus
| founded = {{Start date and age|df=y|1948|7|31}} as ''State Transport Services''<ref name="
kolkataonline">{{cite web|url=http://www.kolkataonline.in/about/Transport/Road-Transport.html|title=Kolkata Road transport|access-date=21 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006071252/http://www.kolkataonline.in/about/Transport/Road-Transport.html|archive-date=6 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| headquarters = [[Kolkata]], West Bengal, India
| locale =
| service_area = [[Kolkata]]<br>Long Distance Services was till 2015
| service_type = limited-stop, express bus service
| fleet = 782 till 2017
| depots = 11 till 2017
| ridership = 20,00,000
| operator = [[Government of West Bengal]]
| website ={{url|wbtc.co.in}}
|defunct=2017|ceased=}}

[[File:Calcutta State Transport Corporation Maniktala Bus Depot - Kolkata 2012-01-23 8634.JPG|thumb|right|CSTC [[Maniktala]] bus depot, Kolkata.]]

'''Calcutta State Transport Corporation''' ('''CSTC''') was a [[West Bengal]] [[state government]] [[Public Sector Undertaking|undertaken]] [[corporation]]. Headquartered in [[Kolkata]], it was set up on 31 July 1948.<ref name="kolkataonline" /> Currently it operates under the name [[West Bengal Transport Corporation|WBTC]]. It plied [[buses]] in Kolkata and nearby districts of West Bengal, along with some long-distance services. CSTC owned 11 depots in Kolkata (then known as Calcutta).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/try-this/social/calcutta-state-transport-corporation-completes-75-years/cid/1956111|title=Kolkata’s CSTC celebrates 75 historic years with decorated fleet|publisher=The Telegraph|date=2 August 2023|access-date=12 September 2025}}</ref>

== History ==

Calcutta State Transport Corporation started its journey on 31 July 1948 as '''State Transport Services''' with an objective to provide efficient, adequate, economical and properly coordinated passenger bus service particularly in and around the city of Kolkata and in the state of [[West Bengal]] in general.

On 15 June 1960 the name of State Transport Service changed to '''Calcutta State Transport Corporation (CSTC)''' under the Road Transport Corporation Act, 1950. By 1966, it had upgraded its services and was connected to 90 percent of the national highways. To fulfill the demand of rural passengers, CSTC introduced one of the earliest Long Distance Bus Services (LDS) from Calcutta to [[Digha]] in April 1968.

===Merger with WBTC===

In 2017, the [[Department of Transport (West Bengal)]] merged CSTC with other transport agencies such as [[Calcutta Tramways Company|CTC]] and [[WBSTC]] to form [[West Bengal Transport Corporation|WBTC]].

==Operations==
===Fleet===
With a fleet of 782 buses, CSTC was able to set up a number of bus routes in the southern part of West Bengal which were till then not connected to any other means of formal public transport. CSTC also pioneered the running of air-conditioned Volvo buses in Kolkata, replacing the aging fleet.

Air conditioned buses were launched in July 2014 on 40 routes across the city and suburbs. They were in blue and white livery, the buses included a complete fleet of [[Volvo]] 8400 units as well as [[Tata Marcopolo]], [[JanBus]] models from [[Ashok Leyland]], the first low floor front entry public buses in the country. These were brought under the visionary of the central [[JNNURM]] scheme.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/City-gets-bus-fleet-the-world-is-waiting-for/articleshow/39255119.cms|title=City gets bus fleet the world is waiting for|date=30 July 2014|access-date=31 August 2019}}</ref>

In 2019, the West Bengal state government made a decision to transition the city's bus fleet, along with its ferry fleet, to be entirely electric by 2030, to reduce the levels of air pollution in the city.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kolkata is electrifying buses and ferries |url=https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/Cities100-Kolkata-is-electrifying-buses-and-ferries? |website=C40 |access-date=9 December 2021}}</ref>

===Depots===
Former CSTC Depots were used for parking and repairing buses. The following depots were:

*1 [[Belghoria]] Depot (Head Office) (BD)
*2 [[Garia]] Depot (GD)
*3 [[Howrah]] Depot (HD)
*4 [[Kasba, Kolkata|Kasba]] Depot (KD)
*5 [[Lake Gardens|Lake]] Depot (LD)
*6 [[Maniktala]] Depot (MD)
*7 [[Nilganj|Nilgunge]] Depot (ND)
*8 [[Paikpara]] Depot (PD)
*9 [[Salt Lake City, Kolkata|Salt Lake]] Depot (SLD)
*10 [[Taratala]] Depot (TD)
*11 [[Thakurpukur]] Depot (TPD)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160618141104/http://cstc.org.in/ Official website]

{{Kolkata}}
{{State owned road transport companies in India}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:State agencies of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Transport in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Bus companies of India]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1948]]
[[Category:State road transport corporations of India]]
[[Category:Metropolitan transport agencies of India]]
[[Category:Indian companies established in 1948]]
[[Category:1948 establishments in West Bengal]]

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Calcutta State Transport Corporation