Bus Service Resumes Between Puri & Cuttack Amid Impasse

Bhubaneswar/Puri: While private bus service resumed on Puri-Bhubaneswar-Cuttack route on Tuesday afternoon, the dispute is still on between the bus owners of Puri and Bhubaneswar.

According to sources, the RTO and Traffic Deputy Superintendent buses are checking the documents and departure and arrival timing of the buses coming from and towards Puri after verifying their timing of departure, at the Kalpana Square in Bhubaneswar.

Bhubaneswar Owners’ Association has alleged that some of their buses have been detained at Puri, while those of the Puri Bus Owners’ Association are running in the Odisha capital. On the other hand, the Puri Bus Owners’ Association has claimed that some of its buses are still detained at the Baramunda Bus Stand.

The Bhubaneswar Bus Owners’ Association has demanded 8-minute passenger loading time, single way provision for buses plying between Bhubaneswar and Puri and strict monitoring of the arrival and departure timing of the buses on the basis of the road permit.

Although a meeting was held in the presence of the RTO, City DSP and the Puri Bus Owners’ Association in Puri on Tuesday, it remained inconclusive.

Talking to mediapersons in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, Assistant MVI, Puri, Bamdev Sahu said the buses coming from Puri are being monitored and allowed to leave for their destination according to the scheduled timing. But the Bhubaneswar Bus Owners’ Association has not allowed its buses to ply to Puri. “We have informed the bus drivers here to run their buses from Baramunda Bus stand. But they said that they are waiting for the order of their owners.,” he added.

As informed by Loknath Pani, the bus owner of Puri, there has been normal bus service from Puri to Bhubaneswar and Cuttack since 3 pm on Tuesday. “But now, we have the information that some of the Cuttack-bound buses from Puri are detained at Kalpana Square in Bhubaneswar. We hope that the administration will take necessary step and not allow any illegal activity,” he said.

He also maintained that no buses of Bhubaneswar are detained in Puri.

The two private bus owners associations are embroiled in a long-standing dispute over the arrival and departure schedule. Though the police have earlier managed to settle it amicably, the decision taken at the meeting is allegedly not being implemented in letter and spirit.

About 65 buses ply from Puri to Bhubaneswar and 75 buses from Cuttack and Bhubaneswar to Puri every day.