Bhubaneswar witnessed chaotic scenes on Monday as thousands of drivers under the aegis of Odisha Drivers' Mahasangh gathered in the city seeking fulfilment of 11-point charter of demands.
The stretch from Master Canteen to State Assembly was chock-a-block due to the mass protest by the Association members who drive trucks, cabs, ambulances, autorickshaws, buses and other transport vehicles.
Their demands included fixed salary, Rs 20 lakh compensation in case of death due to road accident, insurance and pension coverage, and rest rooms on NH and state highways.
Here, the agitators can be seen forcibly stopping a car from navigating on the city road. Many routes had to be diverted due to the road blockade.
Commuters had a harrowing time as vehicular movement was severely disrupted near Raj Mahal, Vani Vihar, Cuttack-Puri Road, Janpath and other stretches of the capital city.
The khaki-clad drivers terrorised the commuters by moving around with lathis in their hands. The state government was forced to convene an immediate meeting wherein assurance was made to the representatives of the Mahasangh that their demands will be considered as early as possible.