The All Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association (AOPBOA) on Wednesday decided to hold a 24-hour strike across the State from Thursday morning (6.30 am).
The bus owners have been demanding immediate withdrawal of cases lodged against Rusav Kumar Tripathy, owner of Maharaja bus, which skidded off the bridge at Puruna Manitri near Athmallick killing 19 passengers and leaving over 50 injured recently.
Association general secretary Debendra Sahu told reporters that around 18,000 private buses would stay off road during the 24-hour bus strike.
“As per the earlier decision, from 6 am on Thursday 29 to 6 am on Friday, buses will stay off the roads as a protest against the illegal arrest of a bus owner,” said Sahu, adding that truckers’ association has lent its moral support to their strike call.
Meanwhile, appealing to the bus owners not to go on strike, Transport Minister Ramesh Majhi said, “We could not do anything as the bus owner is arrested under the IPC, not the MVI Act. Therefore, the Home Department will take a call on further steps.”