Following the Bhubaneswar Private Bus Owners’ Association stopping bus services to Puri after the torching of three buses on Monday, thousands of commuters on routes from Bhubaneswar to Puri and here to Nimapada, Konark, Astarang, Kakatpur, Pipili suffered untold miseries on Tuesday.
Passengers dependent on the buses daily to reach their destinations were stranded and waited for hours to get conveyance. College students and Government and private employees, businessmen and patients were the worst sufferers.
It is to be noted that thousands of tourists, Government and private company employees move on Bhubaneswar-Puri route daily. Similarly, thousands of people from villages from Astaranga, Kakatpur, Charichhak, Gop, Konark, Pipil and many other areas come to Bhubaneswar for various purposes daily.
Besides, patients travel to Charichhak CHC, Nimapada sub-divisional hospital, the Capital Hospital and the Puri District Headquarters Hospital through buses daily.
Finding no other alternative commuters depended on small vehicles like auto-rickshaws, vans and trucks to reach their destinations.
Transport Minister Dr Nrusingha Charan Sahu said that the Government was aware about the problem and the Transport Secretary was looking into the matter.
However, the Cuttack Bus Owners’ Association was divided on the issue of the strike. Though some bus owners decided not to ply their vehicles, some others dared to ignore the association’s decision and plied their buses.