Bhubaneswar: In a major relief to thousands of commuters, Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association Friday night decided to put on hold its statewide bus strike till October 31 because of Durga Puja festivities.
The strike, which began at 6am, came to an end at 9pm. Long-distance night buses have already started plying after the association announced its decision.
“The association held a discussion with Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu and senior officials during the day. The state government has assured us to look into our demands. Our next meeting with the state government is scheduled on October 26. Buses will start plying across the state from tonight,” association secretary Debendra Sahu told reporters.
Earlier in the day, nearly 14,000 buses remained off the roads as the association launched its indefinite strike to protest against the state government’s Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative (LAccMI) scheme.
The bus owners had earlier demanded that LAccMI buses should operate between the gram panchayat and block headquarters and not to district headquarters where private buses ply.
The association pointed out that they were forced to go for a strike after the LAccMI buses operated till district headquarters in Malkangiri district instead of block headquarters.
The association also pointed out that cheap ticket rates of LAccMi buses will affect private buses.
Meanwhile, hundreds of passengers travelling to their hometowns for Durga Puja had a tough time at different bus stands since early morning.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu said the government will hold a detailed discussion with the association on October 26.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had launched the affordable bus service earlier this month. The service aims to connect all the gram panchayats with the district headquarters and the state capital.
Odisha’s road communication is heavily dependent on private buses, with around 14,000 private buses plying against only 2,000 government buses, transport department sources said.
PTI