Bus services normal, says owners’ association

Bhubaneswar: Private bus services in the State are operating normally as the hiked toll charges are not being collected as scheduled, said secretary of the State Private Bus Owners’ Association secretary Debendra Kumar Sahu on Wednesday.

Sahu, however, reiterated the threat issued yesterday that private buses will go off the roads if the hiked toll fees are collected.

Notably, the State government had decided to start collecting the revised toll charges fixed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) from today. Following this, the bus owners’ association had threatened a strike.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Ramesh Majhi on Tuesday said a decision on the issue will be taken after a meeting with the NHAI chairman who will be in the State on June 4.

Notably, on May 18, the Transport department had notified that the revised fees would be collected at the eight toll plazas on the National Highways in the State from today. Two-thirds of the charges would be paid by passengers and the rest by the owner.

The bus owners’ association had protested the notification and submitted a memorandum to the minister. The association had also demanded before the minister relocation of five toll plazas at Manguli, Panikoili, Shreerampur, Pipili and Baraguda alleging that the gates were operating in violation of NHAI norms.