The Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association has decided to go in for their earlier threatened State-wide indefinite strike from December 1 as the second round talks between the association and the Transport and the Urban Development Ministers failed on Friday.
The association alleged that since the Government did not accept its demands, the bus operators are forced to resort to strike. The association has been protesting running of the JNNURM buses outside the cities and the hike in the motor vehicle tax.
A delegation of the association met Commerce and Transport Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi and Urban Development Minister Puspendra Singh Deo (whose department operates the city buses under JNNURM scheme) at the Secretariat here.
While the association insisted on an early decision on its demands, the Minister duo sought time to sort out the problems. Sources said while the UD Minister sought three months to finalise on the DTS city bus route map, the Transport Minister said the proposal of motor vehicle tax hike would be take up in the Assembly and only after it is passed, it would be officially implemented.
As a result, the delegation left the meeting and announced to go in for bus strike.