Bhubaneswar, Aug. 23: Dipti Panda, 20, a college student, had to spend more than 30 minutes at Delta Square this morning, waiting for an autorickshaw. With no three-wheeler in sight, she finally had to take a bus to her college. She missed a class.

“I was not aware of the strike. Many of my friends did not come to college. After the classes got over, I had to call my sister, who works 12 km away from college, to drop me home,” said Dipti.

Like Dipti, thousands of commuters were stranded at various places in the capital thanks to the strike called by the All Orissa Auto Chalaka Mahasangha. With nearly 15,000 autos off the roads, the worst affected were office-goers and college students, who had to wait for buses or look for other modes of transport to reach their destinations.

“Thankfully, the buses were plying though they were overcrowded. A person like me doesn’t depend much on autorickshaws that charge at will, but occasions like this expose the shortcomings of our public transport system. In the event of a bus or auto strike, commuters are bound to face problems. We certainly need more city buses,” said Abhay Kumar Pati, a software professional, who was stranded at Rupali Square.

Although the impact of the strike was hardly felt at the airport where pre-paid taxis ply, people at the railway station had a harrowing time.

“I have come to Bhubaneswar for my daughter’s admission and we have been waiting for a bus for the past 45 minutes to reach our hotel. I don’t know how much longer we would need to wait. It looks like a really bad day,” said Pradeep Kumar, as he waited at the Master Canteen bus depot with his daughter.

Although the usual number of 83 buses were plying, their frequency had been increased in view of the strike, said Sudhanshu Jena, chief executive officer of Dream Team Sahara (DTS), which runs the city bus service. But, commuters rued that the city buses did not ply on certain routes.

Many others were glad that the roads were less congested today.

“It was easier to drive. Normally, one has to be extra cautious as auto drivers are reckless and stop anywhere to pick up passengers. In Bhubaneswar, the autos neither run on meters nor have a fixed fare and commuters are at their mercy,” said Sweekruti, a college student who was riding a two-wheeler.

The 12-hour strike came to an end in the evening when the autos began plying again. But by then the commuters had been through the worst.

The All Orissa Auto Chalaka Mahasangha was demanding parity in autorickshaw fares with neighbouring states and metros, a proper parking zone for auto drivers and an end to the alleged police highhandedness in dealing with the drivers.

The association accused the police of collecting fines and parking fees that were not justified.

Other demands of the union included a special transport policy for autorickshaws, insurance cover in case of accidents and superannuation benefits for the drivers.

“Traffic has been streamlined to a great extent since the police commissionerate launched a drive against auto drivers by collecting Rs 500 as fine for illegal parking. They violate the rules and then call the fines police atrocity.

“We have received about 40 to 50 calls today from people telling us that they felt safe on the roads in the absence of autos. It was an accident-free day,” said a senior officer of the traffic department.

Reacting to this, Padman Kumar Samal, the general secretary of the auto association, said: “When there are no proper parking zones in the capital, we have no choice but to park randomly. A fine of Rs 500 is nothing short of extortion.”