A city bus in Sambalpur

Sambalpur, June 2: The Private Bus Owners’ Association of Sambalpur has stopped plying of private buses on all routes from today following a scuffle between its members and employees of a city bus at Ainthapali this morning.

The trouble arouse over taking passengers of Jharsuguda route. Following an argument, there were clashes between the two groups. Two cases have been registered in this regard and Ainthapali police took three persons into custody.

But, the Private Bus Owners’ Association has decided to go on a strike as its members were not satisfied with the action of the administration. Several passengers were seen returning disappointed from the private bus stand because of the strike today, while many passengers were also seen going towards government bus stand after the strike.

“I was supposed to go to Kuchinda for some official work. However, the private buses are not plying today. So, I had no option but to go back home,” said Ranjit Sharma, a passenger.

“This is not the first time that the private bus owners fought with the employees of the city bus service. They had created disturbance in the plying of the city buses earlier also,” said chief executive officer of Paschim Odisha Paribahan Company Bipin Bhatia.

Paschim Odisha Paribahan Company is a private organisation, which has partnered with the state government to run and manage the city bus service in Sambalpur.

“Around 30 members of the Private Bus Owner’s Association today stopped a city bus that was going to Jharsuguda at Ainthapali and manhandled its driver and conductor,” said Bhatia. General secretary of the Private Bus Owners’ Association Arun Jena said: “The city bus service is supposed to run within the city limits. However, it is now running on inter-district routes as well. It is affecting our business. The district administration never discussed with us about the timing and routes of the city buses.”