Representative image of bus terminal.
Credit: iStock Photo
All Odisha Bus Owners' Association has called for an indefinite strike across the state from October 10 protesting the government's move to launch Location-Accessible Multimodal Initiative (LAccMI) to provide affordable transportation for people from gram panchayat level to the capital city.
Under the LACCMI scheme, about 1,000 buses would be deployed to connect all gram panchayats, block headquarters, district headquarters, major cities and economic hubs across the state.
The All Odisha Bus Owners' Association called a 'Chaka Bandh' (ceasework) agitation from October 2 in the undivided Koraput district to protest the implementation of the LAccMI in Malkangiri district. The undivided Koraput comprise four districts - Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Malkangiri.
Association general secretary Debendra Sahu said no buses will operate in undivided Koraput district for 24 hours on October 2 and later the cease work agitation to be extended across Odisha. "We will observe the indefinite strike from October 10 if our demands are not fulfilled," Sahu told reporters here.
Odisha’s public transportation is mostly dependent on private buses. The bus association alleged that their business will be severely hit as passenger buses under the LAccMI initiative will operate at the same time with private buses.
Meanwhile, in a letter to the general secretary of the association, the Transport Commissioner-cum-Chairman of the State Transport Authority (STA) said, "As discussed in the meeting on 10.08.2023, it has been decided that all RTOS will hold meetings with the concerned bus associations in their jurisdiction and in case of clash of timings of buses of private operators with LAccMI bus, STA resolutions regarding grant of permit will be followed".