Berhampur, Sept. 1: City buses today went off roads here for six hours after drivers and conductors had gone on a strike demanding job security.

The bus service resumed only after the striking employees were assured that they would be absorbed in the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation before the city bus service was handed over to a private organisation.

Berhampur sub-collector Nikhil Pavan Kalyan spoke to the corporation's general manager over phone in presence of the employees and the city bus service's deputy transport manager Amiya Kumar Mishra.

"The corporation's general manager has assured the striking drivers and the conductors to accommodate most of them in the body," said Achuyta Nanda Behera, a driver of Berhampur-Gopalpur route bus service.

Ganjam Urban Transport Services Limited, which is facilitating the city bus service in Berhampur, was to hand over the service to private operator Anil Travels from today.

"But, it was deferred as the proposal has to be approved by a high-level committee meeting to be chaired by the chief secretary on Thursday in Bhubaneswar. The new operator has to submit the required bank guarantee. Besides, other formal processes are also to be carried out," said the transport service's deputy chief executive officer Dipti Mahapatra, who is also the secretary of the Berhampur Development Authority.

"The public suffered due to the strike, and we will take disciplinary action against the erring employees," she said.

Mishra said: "Our term was to end on August 31. But, the urban transport body requested us to extend the service till September 30, and I have requested all the conductors and the drivers appointed for the city bus service to co-operate with us. But, they insisted to renew their service for another three months. I have informed senior officials about it."

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had flagged off the city bus service on February 26 last year. The urban transport service signed the agreement with the corporation on February 25 last year for a one-year term, which was extended to six months, upto August 25, till the substitute takes over.

The city bus route operation was launched only with seven buses on February 27 last year.

The number increased to 12 in March, 16 in April and 26 in September.