Private bus owners again threaten to strike

The members of All Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association have threatened to stay off the roads from 19 July if the government fails to meet their demands. The body has demanded an increase in bus fare by Rs 0.60 paisa/ km. 

Earlier the association had met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on June 27 and put forth their demands following which the later had formed a technical committee to look in to the matter.

“We won’t resort to any strike if the government agrees to our demands and publishes a notification as per the recommendations made by the committee; otherwise we, the private bus owners, have decided to launch an indefinite strike from 19 July,” General Secretary of Odisha Bus Private Bus Owners’ Association said.

This demand by the bus owners came in the wake of the recent rise in the price of diesel by Rs 3 per liter. The owners have asked the government to revise the bus fare as the recent diesel price hike and the price rise in lubricants, spare parts, tubes and tyres have put an extra pressure on them.