After spending like nearly 2 years here, let me jot down my Siliguri wishlist.
- A quick passenger train transport that will take me from medical college to the town in 5 minutes.
- An alternative road transport. The city autos are like running coffins – noisy, uncomfortable and very risky. These autos can comfortably sit 6 passengers but the drivers are allowed to take 8. Yet they flout rules taking upto 13 passengers at times. Plus the autos waste roadspace, besides looking ugly. Why not increase the count of buses? Not big buses, mini buses will do.
- I wish the pavements of Siliguri were safer. If you walk along the Sevoke road you will find the footpath interrupted every now and then by high drains dangerously gaping at you. Tiled footpaths is a necessity too, rather than the uneven bare concrete that adorns them now.
- Introduction of metered taxis, numbered buses are a few other things I would like to see in Siliguri soon.
- Siliguri sure lacks quality movie halls. I once went to Payel the only AC hall. That was my first and last time. It is far far worse than the ordinary halls of Kolkata. I see an immediate need of quality movie halls in Siliguri as also multiplexes. I hear 3 multiplexes are coming up.
- It has too many restaurants but I would like to have more places where we can hang out, say like Café Coffee Day outlets in other metros. The shopping malls are good places to chill out. Cosmos mall on Sevoke Road is really a nice addition.
- For Siliguri to become a bustling metro, it needs to be connected with adjoining areas as also the rest of the north Bengal by a thorough rail network. Something like the circular rail of Kolkata should be implemented. For example, if someone from Raiganj plans to come here he has to undertake the arduous bus journey of 4 hours, the nearest rail stop Dalkhola being 30-40 km away.
- The Bagdogra airport needs night-landing facility and international status. Once it is placed in the lucrative Kathmandu route and more planes start flying, the smaller airlines will cut the Kolkata-Bagdogra fares I believe.
- Introduction of Airtel broadband in Siliguri. So that I can then happily get rid of this pesky little thing from Reliance that is driving me nuts with its super slow speeds.
- Times Of India and other leading English dailies should open their press in Siliguri. Among English dailies, Now only The Telegraph and The Statesman get printed here. Rest arrive in the evening by plane from Kolkata. Also, t2 the daily tabloid supplementary of The Telegraph should be circulated here too – it makes no sense otherwise.
So much for now. I will expand this list if something strikes me.