Private bus operators call off proposed strike in 14 Odisha districts

Private bus operators in 14 districts of Odisha have decided to call off their proposed strike after a meeting with Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena on their demand in Berhampur on Monday.

The private bus owners' associations in the 14 south and western Odisha districts had announced to go on a 24-hour strike beginning at 6 pm on Monday, opposing LAccMI bus service from blocks to district headquarters.

Loknath Padhi, president of Private Bus Owners Association, Baliguda, who was present during the meeting with the Transport minister said, "We have decided to call off our strike from this evening as the minister has assured us that he will certainly look into our demand."

The state government has decided to run AC buses from blocks to district headquarter towns under Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative (LAccMI) scheme at an affordable price of Rs 10 per woman passenger while the private buses are charging Rs 60 to 80 per passenger, he said.

"If the LAccMI buses start rolling on our routes, we will lose our livelihood. So, after hearing our plea, the minister said he will hold discussion with the Transport commissioner and local MLAs in this regard and run such buses in the routes where no private bus is plying," Padhi said.

The private bus operators said that although initially LAccMI buses were meant to run between panchayats and blocks, on the contrary, they were running services between blocks and district headquarters and that too at a subsidised fare.