Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Transport Department has begun proceedings to cancel or suspend the permits of more than 400 autorickshaws, which were used to block roads near Station Square and Master Canteen in Bhubaneswar during a violent protest by app-based drivers on Wednesday.
Officials said initial police investigations and records established that over 400 autorickshaws took part in the illegal blockade, prompting action under Section 86(1)(b) of the Motor Vehicles Act for violating the conditions of the permits granted to them.
Bhubaneswar-1 RTO has issued show-cause notices to the registered owners and permit holders of the vehicles involved. They have been asked to state who was in control of each vehicle at the time of the incident and whether it was used with the owner’s permission, direction or knowledge. Owners have been directed to submit written clarifications with supporting documents and appear in person for a hearing at the RTO office.
Failure to respond within the stipulated timeframe will result in unilateral permit cancellations, transport official said, adding that permit-related action would not affect any parallel criminal or other legal proceedings arising from the incident.
The crackdown follows the escalation of the ongoing agitation by Ola, Uber and Rapido drivers and riders that began on Monday. Protesters had been demanding government regulation of online fares, a fixed minimum and maximum fare structure jointly set by the state and aggregators, compensation for waiting time and passenger cancellations, and other benefits. On Wednesday, the third day of the stir, hundreds of drivers gathered near Lower PMG Square and Master Canteen, parking vehicles to block major roads from the railway station towards the airport and disrupting traffic for more than an hour. Commuters, including passengers arriving at the station, faced significant inconvenience.
The situation turned violent when demonstrators allegedly pelted stones at police personnel, damaged at least 15 Ama city buses, and targeted police vans and private vehicles. Police responded with a lathi-charge and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Thirteen police personnel, including Capital police station IIC Radhakanta Sahu, were injured, along with several civilians and protesters, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Additional Commissioner of Police Narasingha Bhol said.
Commissionerate Police have arrested 113 people and forwarded them to court in connection with the violence. Another 60 individuals were released on bonds for good behaviour. A total of 354 vehicles were seized. Seven FIRs have been registered at Kharavela Nagar police station, two based on complaints from members of the public, four from Ama Bus staff and one from police personnel.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Jagmohan Meena stated that road blocking is illegal and that the agitators had brought stones in advance. He noted that permission had been granted only for a one-day demonstration on August 17, yet the protest continued.
Police have warned that strict legal action will continue against anyone who takes the law into their own hands, as the transport authorities proceed with the permit cancellation process.