Bhubaneswar: The All Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association (AOPBOA) has decided to put its state-wide indefinite strike on hold till the 31st of October.
The decision to put the bus strike on hold was taken during a meeting of the association functionaries at Baramunda this late evening, said the bus association secretary Debendra Sahu. He added that the services of the private buses will resume with immediate effect.
The bus association this evening held fruitful discussions with the State Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu and officials of the department regarding their demands.
The state transport commissioner and other senior officials were present at the said meeting. As a result, bus commuters across the state are relieved in the current drought.
According to the Private Bus Owners Association, the LAccMI Bus should be allowed to ply only from the Panchayats to the Blocks. The Association has demanded to be given the responsibility of running the bus service from the blocks to the District Headquarters.
Lakhs of people were stranded across Odisha as thousands of private buses remained off the roads since 6 AM on Friday. 
People were seen waiting at the bus stands for hours praying for the bus services to resume so they could reach their destinations, thousands of people thronged the railway stations to catch a train.
Many were seen making a beeline outside the state-run bus counters, as OSRTC was the only bus service left for commuters.
With the Durga Puja celebrations underway, the bus strike has affected many commuters today.
However, after the bus strike was put on hold Friday night, passengers at Baramunda in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack Netaji Bus Terminus went to their respective destinations.
Heavy rush was observed at ticket counters due to the strike. Passengers waited in long queues to get a single ticket.
