18,000 buses will stay off roads in 24-hr strike tomorrow

Bhubaneswar: Around 18,000 buses and passenger carrying vehicles will stay off road during the 24-hour bus strike on September 29 across the State, said the bus owners’ association today.

Talking to media persons, Debendra Sahu, general secretary of the bus owners’ association said, “As per the earlier decision, from 6 am on September 29 to 6 am on September 30, buses will stay off the roads as a protest against the illegal arrest of a bus owner.”

Sahu further stated, “The State truck association has lent its moral support to our strike call. If the case against the bus driver is not withdrawn, buses and trucks will stay off roads from October 7 for an indefinite period,” adding that the association has lodged its protest before the state government in written.

He added, “The bus owner has been in jail for past eight days and his bail plea is pending before the district judge court and no decision has been taken yet.”

Reacting to the strike call given by the bus owners, Transport minister Ramesh Majhi said, “We have requested the bus owners to not to go for a strike as common people will suffer the most.”

The minister elaborated, “We could not do anything as the bus owner was arrested under the IPC, not the MVI Act. Therefore, the Home department will take a call on further steps.”

Also read: Bus owners meet Transport minister, demand release of Maharaja owner

Notably, the bus owners’ association was demanding immediate release of the owner of the bus which met an accident near Manitri of Athmallick in Angul district on September 9 causing death of 19 persons.