Students were taken off guard when the pool cars operating from Howrah to Kolkata schools suddenly decided to call a two-day strike. However, with most of the operators not being part of West Bengal Pool Car Welfares’ Association (WBPCWA), the largest pool car operators’ organisation, their decision of calling a strike was later pulled off.

“I always take a pool car to go to school. But today with the operators refusing to ply, my mother had to come all the way to drop me,” said Moumita Sinha, a student of South Point High School and a resident of Shalkia in Howrah.

The police have started a crackdown on pool cars after State Transport Minister Ranjit Kundu announced that pool car owners will have to abide by a set of guidelines if they intend to ply with school children.

Following the minister’s announcement, the WBPCWA held a number of meetings with the Public Vehicles Department (PVD). “Today’s decision was taken unanimously by them all of a sudden. These operators are not even part of the larger organisation of pool cars. We are already in talks with the government. Those who have decided not to ply their vehicles today have been asked to contact us. We have asked them not to take irrational steps and come to us with their problems, which we will forward to the state transport department,” said Abir Roy, secretary, WBPCWA.

According to Roy, the pool car operators in Howrah may be upset due to seizure of vehicles by the police today morning. Roy, however, said they have always maintained that if any car is not carrying the necessary documents than the police have a right to seize or stop them.

The PVD, meanwhile, has handed over a list of final suggestions to the pool car operators to consider before it is submitted to the state transport department for final approval. While the suggestions ask Maruti vans not to ply and only eight to ten-seater cars to be allowed, operators are not satisfied with the demand.