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| A city bus in Puri. Picture by Sarat Patra |
Bhubaneswar, July 19: Puri Private Bus Owners’ Association today opposed plying of the city buses from Puri to Bhubaneswar.
As a mark of protest, Dream Team Sahara (DTS), operator of the city bus service on behalf of state-owned Bhubaneswar Puri Transport Service Limited (BPTSL), today stopped plying of the buses. Dream Team Sahara was running five buses between Puri and Bhubaneswar.
Dream Team Sahara chief Nishikanta Mishra said: “Private bus owners of Puri are not cooperating with us. Every time our bus reaches Puri, they misbehave with our staff. It has now gone beyond the limit of tolerance.”
The bus service between Puri and Bhubaneswar was launched by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on June 22 to provide better transport facilities to the passengers.
Puri Private Bus Owners’ Association secretary Loknath Pani, however, said: “They are being given a preferential treatment by the district administration. They have been allotted a place in the bus stand by Puri Municipality. We should also be allowed to use that place. However, we are not being allowed. We have no problem if they ply their buses adhering to the timings followed by other bus operators.”
Pani claimed that around 150 buses plying on the Puri—Bhubaneswar and Puri—Cuttack route were incurring a huge loss after the launch of city bus service.
On the other hand, Dream Team Sahara’s Nishikanta Mishra also said: “As the buses are very big in size, it would not be possible for these vehicles to enter the bus stand. Earlier, it was decided at a meeting chaired by the chief secretary that the buses would come near the Hospital Square on the Grand Road. The parking place near Narendra Pond is yet to be allotted.”