Berhampur: A strike by private bus operators on Sunday to protest against the relocation of the city bus stand - popularly known as New Bus Stand - to the modern terminal at Haldiapadar caused immeasurable suffering for hundreds of commuters here.

The Ganjam District Private Bus Operators' Association called the strike to protest against the district administration's decision to relocate the terminal to Haldiapadar.

"The administration is in a hurry to start operations without making proper safety arrangements at the new terminal. We demand construction of an overbridge for the movement of vehicles on NH-16 and an underpass for the buses near the bus terminus," said association president Subash Chandra Panda.

Panda said: "We oppose the decision to allow private buses to ply only from Aska, Bhanjanagar, Digapahandi, Phulbani, Boudh and Jharsuguda. We do not support running two bus stands simultaneously. The relocation must be stopped till construction of a ring road is complete."

The association has threatened to continue the strike till the district administration resolved the issue.

With private buses off the road, several passengers were stranded. "I purchased a ticket to Rayagada in a private bus two days ago. The bus has not come yet," said Dilip Pradhan from Gopalpur, who was unaware of the strike.

Three-fifty private buses, 50 express buses and 28 OSRTC buses had been using the New Bus Stand since 2011 when the old bus stand near Berhampur Stadium was shut. Work on the Haldiapadar terminus, which has been constructed for Rs 12.87 crore, was taken up by the Berhampur Development Authority in 2014 and completed in 2016.

"Chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the terminus in February 2016. But it was not made functional because of various 'technical' reasons," said Berhampur Development Authority secretary Sambit Kumar Rout.

The delay has been attributed to construction of safe entry and exit points along with a traffic post on the NH-16. "The problems have been sorted out. We have widened the approach road by up to 50ft and redesigned the point where the approach road joins the highway," said Rout.

But the association disagrees. "Widening the approach road is illogical. There would be tremendous rush of passengers on the approach road and there is every possibility of accidents. The point on which the approach road joins the NH-16 is still dangerous and prone to accidents," said Panda.