The ongoing agitation by the employees of private bus owners was called off on Wednesday, informed Nilagiri Motor Karmachari Sangh leaders to mediapersons. But the issue of plying of buses on the Puri-Cuttack route was not resolved yet.
The issue crept up following a dispute over the timing of plying of buses between Puri and Cuttack. Bus owners at Cuttack detained a number of Puri buses while some Cuttack owners’ buses were also detained at Puri. The employees alleged that they were abused at Cuttack. In protest, they stopped working for Cuttack-bound buses. They intensified their agitation further as the administration did not take any steps to address their grievance.
Plying of buses to all the routes including the tourist transport brought the movement to a grinding halt. Passengers, daily commuters and tourists were put to immense difficulty. On Wednesday, after discussions with the RTA and the district Superintendent of Police, the agitation was called off.
However, their original complaint of ill treatment and harassment by the Cuttack transport operators remains unaddressed. Police assured them to look into their complaints, it was learnt.