On March 18, a group of Presidency University students staged a protest at the College Street-MG Road crossing demanding adequate bus services for girl boarders residing in the institute's Salt Lake hostel. Around 70 boarders have been staging a sit-in protest outside the dean of hostels' office for over 101 hours, demanding eight bus trips from the hostel to the campus and back, said a spokesperson for the protesting students, PTI reported.
It is reported that the distance between the hostel and the campus is around 10 km. The blockade severely hit traffic with vehicles bound for Hatibagan and Howrah stuck at the crossing for nearly 30 minutes.
Further, the protestors said they will continue to raise awareness about the challenges faced by female students residing outside Kolkata, who rely on the hostel to attend classes on time. They vowed to persist with their efforts until the management addressed their concerns.
The hostel accommodates approximately 180 female boarders, who are demanding the reinstatement of the bus service that was discontinued after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2019.
Responding to the students' concerns, university representatives said that the previous bus service was subsidised by the state transport department, and due to financial constraints, the institute can only arrange for one bus.
