Bhubaneswar: With people apparently not keen on using public transport due to coronavirus fear, private bus operators in the state have claimed to be incurring losses and are contemplating to stop plying their vehicles.
After remaining idle due to lockdown imposed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic for around three months, the private buses were allowed to resume services by the government on May 28. But the passengers’ response was lukewarm.
As a result, the owners of buses, particularly those plying on long routes, have been sustaining losses and are unable to meet even the basic expenditure like fuel and staff salary, sources said.
“We are suffering losses to the tune of Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 per day. The buses running at nights are the worst-hit,” the bus operators said.
If there is no improvement in the situation, they will be forced to stop providing the services, they added.
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