Bhubaneswar: The passengers flying out of Bhubaneswar and JEE aspirants had a tough time during the Bharat Bandh observed by central trade unions on Wednesday.
According to reports, the passengers arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport six hours before the scheduled departure time. While some passengers were seen riding pillion with their friends and relatives on two-wheelers, others took autorickshaws and made their way to the airport on pretext that they had to go to hospital.
An ambulance was also seen at the airport. Perhaps, a passenger used this mode of transport to avoid missing the flight.
Besides, several passengers were seen stranded outside the airport waiting for vehicles. As no vehicles were available at the airport due to the bandh, some private vehicles charged hefty amount to ferry them to their destination.
“After waiting for more than four hours, I ran out of patience and finally approached a private vehicle and requested the driver to drop me at my house which is about 4 km from the airport. He charged Rs 1800. Even a few two-wheelers parked outside the airport were seen charging Rs 500-Rs 700 for a ride,” said a passenger.
Besides, the students appearing for the JEE Main examination had a torrid time.
Talking to the media, the students, who had come from Sambalpur, Balasore, Dhenkanal, Paradip and Jagatsinghpur and from the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, said though they were instructed to report at their respective centres two hours before the commencement of the examination, they could not reach at the scheduled time due to road blockades at several places in the Odisha capital. Most of the seats at the examination centres were vacant as the students failed to turn up due to the road blockade, the sources added.
