Bhubaneswar: Private buses will resume normal operations starting Saturday, despite the ongoing driver strike. Devendra Sahu, Secretary of the Private Bus Owners Association, said that the decision was taken in a crucial meeting held in Puri today.
The association decided to run buses normally to alleviate passenger inconvenience, as state government buses can’t meet the demand. Over 17,000 private buses operate daily across 30 districts, and passengers heavily rely on them. Bus services in Cuttack will return to normal, with the Cuttack Bus Owners Association choosing not to support the drivers’ strike.
The bus owners’ body has requested the government to provide security as the agitation of the drivers is continuing. The association said that enough drivers are ready to resume bus services.
The drivers’ strike, which has entered its fourth day, has severely disrupted transportation, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers. The Odisha Drivers’ Mahasangha, representing around 5 lakh drivers, is demanding inclusion of auto drivers in the Odisha Motor Transport Drivers and Workers Welfare Board, a special law to protect the driver community, special allowance for professional drivers after 60, provision of parking spaces and rest houses for drivers, 70% job reservation for Odisha drivers in mines and factories, and declaration of September 1 as National Driver’s Day.
