Kolkata, June 22 (IANS): With 37 passengers onboard, the Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala bus service began its commercial operation on Monday from the Karunamoyee International Bus Stand here.

Run by the West Bengal and Tripura governments, respectively, the bus service will be available from Kolkata thrice a week - Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - and from Agartlala on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

"Thirty-seven passengers are onboard the first ride with 32 of them headed to Dhaka and the rest for Agartala. The number of passengers going to Agartala is expected to pick up as the service becomes popular," West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation managing director Nilanjan Shandilya said.

The bus service was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Dhaka on June 6.

The fare for the service till Dhaka has been priced at Rs.1,400 while that up to Agartala is Rs.1,700.