Andhra Pradesh transport strike hits Odisha bus passengers

Berhampur (Odisha), Sept 27: Over a month-long transport strike in Andhra Pradesh in protest against the creation of Telangana state has hit Odisha transport services hard, official sources said today.

Many Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) buses are unable to enter Andhra Pradesh due to the strike. As many as 64 buses at 32 routes under OSRTC's Berhampur division have been diverted, causing heavy loss to the Corporation.

"The buses are not entering Andhra Pradesh since August 12 as the agitators detained some inter-state buses," OSRTC divisional manager (Berhampur) Lala Ashok Kumar Ray said.

The loss to the corporation's Berhampur division has been estimated at Rs 2.75 crore during the period, he said, adding total loss to the corporation would be higher if other divisions like Angul, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar were taken into consideration.

Many OSRTC buses are unable to enter Andhra Pradesh due to the strike

"These long routes buses, mostly plying during night, are profitable. We are not sure when the normal bus services will resume," the Divisional Manager said.

Even though several buses have been grounded, the OSRTC is paying road tax and giving salary to the staff. While plying of buses of the OSRTC in 32 routes in Vijayanagaram unit has been stopped, the bus service in 12 routes at Berhampur, six at Bhawanipatna and four at Bhanjanagar units has come to a grinding halt. Bus passengers are now depending on trains to go to Andhra Pradesh as rail services were not affected due to the strike.

PTI