TV
In a major relief for commuters across Odisha, private bus services resumed operations from Saturday despite the ongoing strike by the All Odisha Driver Mahasangha, which had severely disrupted public transport for the past five days.
The decision to resume services was taken by the State Private Bus Owners’ Association, citing the hardships faced by passengers. As per reports, the decision was facilitated by the Odisha government's assurance of security and acknowledgements put forward by the bus drivers.
Ground visuals showed private buses beginning to ply in Bhubaneswar and other regions of the state from early morning, restoring partial normalcy to Odisha’s inter-district and long-distance transport system.
Services Resume After Days of Paralysis
The resumption comes after days of a near-total transport breakdown triggered by the drivers' union strike.
In a recurring scenario since Tuesday, thousands of passengers were left stranded at major terminals such as Bhubaneswar’s Baramunda Bus Terminal and Cuttack’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Bus Terminal, as private buses, which form the backbone of the state’s transport network, remained off the roads.
Passengers had faced severe difficulties, including medical emergencies, delayed travel plans, and increased transportation costs. Only a limited number of government-run buses under the ‘Ama Bus’ service continued to operate during the agitation, proving insufficient for the state’s travel demands.
“Around 30 to 40 buses have left the bus stand and have begun their journeys to various parts of the state. We are happy that the passengers will be able to commute again and we can start earning our wages again,” said a bus driver at the Bhubaneswar Baramunda Bus Terminal.
Strike Over Seven-Point Charter of Demands
The disruption stemmed from a state-wide agitation launched by the All Odisha Driver Mahasangha, which has been continuing its ‘steering wheel off’ protest to press a seven-point charter of demands.
The demands included social security measures, formal recognition of drivers as skilled workers, pension benefits, and accident insurance coverage.
Despite several rounds of negotiations, including meetings at the residence of the Transport Minister and at Kharavela Bhavan, the impasse continued well into Friday.
