Pvt bus operators call for strike in N Dinajpur

raiganj: Members of Uttar Dinajpur Bus and Minibus owners Welfare Association called for an indefinite bus strike in North Dinajpur from Thursday against an order which mandates the buses plying to Siliguri to pass through Dalkhola town instead of the Bypass. In the absence of private buses, passengers faced a lot of problems.

The private bus owners made an appeal to the administration to ply through the bypass as they incurred losses on the route passing through Dalkhola. In order to avoid the long time traffic jam in Dalkhola town, National Highway Authorities constructed a bypass road in Dalkhola. Goods and passenger vehicles ply on the bypass road avoiding Dalkhola Rail-gate.

This has caused a lot of inconvenience for the residents of Dalkhola as private buses are not entering town.

The Dalkhola Merchants Association and Dalkhola municipality officials raised the demand that private buses enter Dalkhola town. However, owing to the need to cross the rail gate while taking the Dalkhola route, the buses continued to avoid this route. Finally the administration intervened and passed an order for private buses to take the route through Dalkhola town.

Plaban Pramanik, Secretary of Uttar Dinajpur Bus and Minibus Owners Welfare Association said: “With the order of administration we plied through Dalkhola instead of bypass road, we faced long jams at Dalkhola Railgate. Other passengers started getting down and we faced losses. In protest against the order of administration we stopped our bus service on Siliguri route from June 3 to 7. However the administrative officials have not called a meeting yet to resolve the issue. So we decided to suspend our bus service in the district for an indefinite period from Thursday.”

Hasin Jahar Rizvi, Additional District Magistrate (general) of North Dinajpur district said:“We have heard of the difficulties. We will have a talk with the bus owners on Friday to sort out matters.”