Darjeeling, July 21: Jeep drivers today stopped buses from plying along the Darjeeling- Kurseong route, forcing the passengers to bank on the more costly jeep rides.

Trouble started after buses having permits to travel along the Darjeeling-Siliguri route, started plying between Darjeeling and Kurseong after a massive landslide choked the road at Paglajhora on Saturday.

Jeep drivers alleged that buses did not have the necessary permits to ply on the Darjeeling-Kurseong route.

Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Transport Joint Action Committee president Nim Tshering Bhutia said: “Yesterday some of the jeep owners and drivers threatened the bus drivers with dire consequences if they plied on the Darjeeling-Kurseong route. Currently the buses cannot travel to Siliguri. What are they supposed to do? They cannot afford to incur losses every day.”

Bhutia further added that the jeep drivers should have informed the joint action committee about the problem instead of suddenly serving the bus drivers with an ultimatum.

The committee today urged the district administration to solve the crisis, failing which buses would continue to ply the route even if the road to Siliguri was cleared.

Additional district magistrate of Darjeeling R. Ranjit said: “The Regional Transport Authority will hold a meeting tomorrow for a solution,” he said. He added that the buses were not usually given the permission to ply the Darjeeling-Kurseong route but given the circumstances something would have to be done.

“Even if restoration work starts this evening, it would take at least three weeks to make a thoroughfare for small vehicles. About the larger vehicles, nothing can be said now,” said Ranjit.

Pawan Goley, a commuter said: “We are at the receiving end. While bus charges only Rs 15, jeeps take Rs 40 for the same distance.”