Sonepur, April 6: The municipal authority and the private bus operators of Sonepur are fighting over introduction of parking fee at the bus terminal here.

The municipal council has decided to collect an entry fee of Rs 10 from each bus that enters Sonepur bus stand. The commuters had a difficult time as several buses remained stranded at Bhima Chowk in Sonepur on Tuesday as the municipal authority remained firm in its decision to implement the parking fee.

After the private bus operators reacted sharply to this, the municipal authority postponed introduction of parking fee in the bus stand.

Sources said that Sonepur municipality invited tender a few days back to collect parking fee from buses that enter Sonepur bus stand. As there was only one bidder, the executive officer of the municipality recommended inviting the tender again. However, municipal chairman Prakash Chandra Sahu rejected the recommendation of the executive officer and passed a resolution to admit the bidder to collect the parking fee. The Private Bus Operators’ Association of Sonepur sharply reacted to the municipality’s decision to introduce parking fee in the bus stand.

Purusottam Panigrahi, president of the Private Bus Operators’ Association of Sonepur said that the Orissa Municipality Act indicated that the municipality is eligible to collect levy only if it ensures basic services on the premises of the bus stand.

“The municipality has not done anything to provide basic services like toilets, resting sheds and drinking water for passengers on the bus stand premises. Yet, it is keen to introduce parking fee. We will not allow it to happen,” he said.