‘Quit Steering’ Protest: Drivers Resort To Picketing Across Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Bus services were affected at Cuttack’s Badambadi bus stand and commuters were seen stranded as over 4 lakh drivers joined the day-long “quit steering” protest on Wednesday to press for 10-point charter of demands.

The agitators were also seen stopping commercial vehicles on National Highway at Tamando, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Similar scenes were witnessed in Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Balasore, Bhadrak, Deogarh, Kendrapada, Khurda, Puri and several other districts of the state.

Emergency vehicles and those, carrying students or examinations, have been exempted from the strike.

The agitators alleged that Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu gave them false assurance as a meeting between them remained inconclusive the previous day. While urging the drivers not to hold the protest and cause inconvenience to the public, the minister had also assured them that a committee will be constituted to look into their demands, which includes pension after 60 years of age, death benefits, insurance, security, parking and toilet facility.

“Our demands are genuine and we will stage peaceful protests for our rights. We will ensure that no examinee or patient faces any difficulty due to our strike and vehicles carrying students, ambulances, police and fire vehicles will be allowed to ply,” president of Driver Ekata Mahamancha Prasant Menduli had said.

Meanwhile, the state government has directed all collectors and SPs to have a contingency plan to avoid any inconvenience to the public during the strike. Twin City Commissioner of Police Soumendra Priyadarshi also warned of strict action if any untoward incident takes place due to the drivers’ protest.

Private bus owners, truck owners and auto-rickshaw drivers, however, refused to extend support to the protest and announced to continue passenger services.