BHUBANESWAR: Public transport across the state was badly affected as drivers under an umbrella organisation went on an indefinite strike over their various demands that include inclusion in social security schemes as well as provisioning of operational facilities.
Commuters had to face a lot of hardship as buses and cabs remained off the roads. Long route passengers were stranded at Barmunda bus stand in the capital city, Badambadi bus stand at Cuttack and the bus bays at Angul, Balasore, Puri, Berhampur, Rourkela, Sambalpur and other district headquarters since early morning.
Some of the passengers said they came out to travel to their destinations following assurance from the bus associations that there will be no disruption in private bus services. However, most of the buses were off the roads due to the strike, they said.
Even as the bus owners’ association had assured that buses will ply as usual if police provides them protection, services were affected as drivers under the federation of different associations having around five lakh members joined the agitation to press for their 10-point charter of demands.
The agitating drivers stopped vehicles on national highways and interior roads at different locations causing inconvenience to passengers. Transportation of raw materials to industrial units, vegetables and other essential commodities to different areas were also affected. The vehicles engaged in emergency services and carrying students to examination centres were, however, spared. Movement of government buses and auto-rickshaws in the twin cities was unaffected.
The Drivers Ekata Mahamanch resorted to strike after their discussion with Commerce and Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu remained inconclusive on Tuesday. The drivers have been demanding social security, including pension after 60 years of age, death and accident benefits, parking, rest shed and toilet facilities along the roads besides formation of a welfare fund.
Mahamanch president Prashant Menduli said the minister gave them false assurance of constituting a committee to look into their demands. “The state government had assured us to form a committee and consider our demands when we were on strike last time. Nothing has happened. We will continue the strike till our demands are met,” he said.
All Odisha bus owners’ association, truck owners’ association and auto rickshaw owners’ association, which had announced not to join the agitating drivers, claimed that they did not get protection from the local administration to ply vehicles.
Secretary of bus owners’ association Debendra Sahu said bus services were smooth in some routes as all drivers had not joined the strike. “The services could have been smooth had the police provided protection as assured by the DG of police. Unruly drivers disrupted vehicular movement at some locations on national highways,” he pointed out.
On Tuesday, the state government had instructed all collectors, SPs and RTOs to have a contingency plan to avoid any inconvenience to the public, especially the students appearing exams.The minister said the state government is ready to consider their demands. A high level committee is examining their demands and steps will be taken as per the committee’s recommendation, she added.