Bhubaneswar: At least 50,000 commuters faced significant inconvenience on Monday as city bus services under the Ama Bus brand were disrupted along 30 routes. Approximately 125 buses remained off the road from 6 am to 4 pm due to a protest by ticket conductors over unpaid salaries. The services gradually resumed after 4 pm when the Capital Region Urban Transport (Crut) directed the private agency to process the salary disbursement for the conductors.
Protest Over Unpaid Salaries
The conductors, employed through an outsourced agency, alleged that they had not received their salaries for the past month. Despite initial efforts by Crut officials and police to persuade the agitators, the protest continued. The buses remained stranded at the Patrapada depot as the conductors refused to board them and staged a dharna at the depot. Crut formed a three-member committee to negotiate with the protesters, but they remained adamant until 3:30 pm, according to Crut manager (operations) Jayant Kumar.
Impact on Commuters
The 125 buses allocated to 30 routes connect key destinations within the city and beyond. One of the most critical routes affected was from SUM Hospital to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. The suspension of this service caused significant hardship for relatives of patients. Abhilash Mohanty, a commuter, shared his ordeal: "To shuttle between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack along a fixed route is very convenient. But it was a surprise for me to discover that the bus was not plying on the route. I had come to see one of my relatives in SUM Hospital and was to return to Cuttack by bus. Having failed to do so, I rushed to Baramunda bus station in an autorickshaw and took a long-distance passenger bus that passes through Cuttack."
Another vital route that saw no Ama Bus service was from Kalinga Vihar to the railway station at Master Canteen. This bus typically experiences heavy rush throughout the day. Many commuters who rely on autorickshaws to reach the railway station prefer the Ama Bus due to its considerably lower fares, sources said.
Resolution and Future Measures
Crut stated that the private agency responsible for engaging the conductors has been instructed not to repeat such lapses in the future. Kumar added, "The grievances of the bus staff have been taken seriously. The committee that was formed will submit a report soon regarding the incident." The resumption of services brought relief to thousands of daily commuters who depend on the affordable and convenient bus network.
