Bus fare revision: Odisha private buses to stop plying from Aug 9

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, July 30:

The Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association has decided to stop their bus services in the state from August 9.

The Association, in a release on Tuesday, apprised the state government of its decision in this regard.

“The Association has warned the government of statewide stir if it fails to meet its demands by August 8. Nearly 14,000 private buses would stay off the road during agitation”, Sahu said.

The decision of the Association came after the state government failed to respond to its demand to revise bus fares following frequent hikes in the price of diesel.

Briefing newsmen after the general body meeting, the general secretary of the Association Debendra Kumar Sahu said the Transport minister and officials of the concerned department had assured them that they would look into their demands and also forwarded their proposal to the technical committee.

“Though the proposal has been sent to the technical committee since July 17, no decision has been taken as yet”, he said.

Alleging that the government has kept the Association in the dark about the stand taken by the technical committee, Sahu said the Association had no other option than to go for an indefinite strike in the state.

He also informed that the Association has laid down three major demands before the government such as  immediate revision of bus fare in view of the hike in the price of diesel and automatic revision of bus fare in proportion to the hike in diesel price in future, plying of buses under JNNURM inside the city areas and monthly collection of toll gate tax of Rs 1000 from each private bus instead of daily collection.

A delegation of the Association, led by its president Prakash Mishra and office-bearers Loknath Pani and Barada Acharya, submitted a memorandum to the secretary, Transport and Commerce after the meeting.