“We started running special trains from September. Our revenue till the peak afternoon had reached Rs 9,00,000 as compared to a Rs 7,50,000 on a normal day. By the end of the last service it is expected to be much more,” Dutta added.

Even taxis had their share of extra earnings. The Calcutta Taxi Association, which covers 15,000 taxis, saw a 27 per cent increase in revenue, while the Bengal Taxi Association, which covers 18,000 taxis, saw a 30 per cent increase.

“Bus is an essential form of transport. Because of the strike, I was forced to take a cab to the nearest Metro station and then take an auto from there to reach my office. It was expensive,” said C K Banerjee of Serampore.

“Usually a taxi driver does business worth Rs 1,100 to 1,200 per day. But today we have seen a 30 per cent increase because of the bus strike,” said Bimal Guha, president, Bengal Taxi Association.