Drivers stage indefinite strike in Odisha; private buses to ply
Bus services were disrupted at Cuttack's Badambadi bus stand on Wednesday, leaving commuters stranded, as over 4 lakh drivers joined a day-long "quit steering" protest to press for a 10-point charter of demands.
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Bhubaneswar: Bus services were disrupted at Cuttack's Badambadi bus stand on Wednesday, leaving commuters stranded, as over 4 lakh drivers joined a day-long "quit steering" protest to press for a 10-point charter of demands.
Commercial vehicles were also stopped on the National Highway at Tamando, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, by the agitators. Similar scenes were seen in Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Balasore, Bhadrak, Deogarh, Kendrapada, Khurda, Puri, and other districts throughout the state.
Emergency vehicles and those transporting students or exams are exempt from the strike.
The protesters claimed that Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu gave them false assurances after their previous meeting ended in failure. While urging the drivers not to disrupt the public, the minister also assured them that a committee would be formed to look into their demands, which include a pension after 60 years of age, death benefits, insurance, security, parking, and toilet facilities.
"Our demands are genuine and we will stage peaceful protests for our rights. "We will ensure that no examinee or patient is inconvenienced as a result of our strike, and vehicles carrying students, ambulances, police and fire vehicles will be allowed to operate," said Prasant Menduli, president of Driver Ekata Mahamancha.
Meanwhile, the state government has directed all collectors and SPs to have a contingency plan in place to ensure that the public is not inconvenienced during the strike. Twin City Commissioner of Police Soumendra Priyadarshi also threatened harsh action if any untoward incident occurred as a result of the drivers' protest.
Private bus owners, truck drivers, and auto-rickshaw drivers, on the other hand, refused to join the protest and announced that passenger services would be maintained.
