The Odisha Drivers’ Mahasangha, representing over 200,000 commercial vehicle drivers, called off its five-day ‘cease work’ strike on Saturday night, bringing relief to commuters across the state. The decision, announced by State Secretary Manas Debata, was made in anticipation of President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Odisha on July 14.

“We chose to suspend our protest to ensure Odisha’s image remains untarnished during the President’s visit,” Debata stated in Redhakhol, Sambalpur. The strike, launched on July 8 under the ‘Steering Chhado’ banner, disrupted private bus and truck services, stranding passengers and hampering goods transport statewide.

The Mahasangha’s demands included pensions for drivers over 60, rest sheds every 100 km on major roads, death and accident compensation, inclusion of autorickshaw drivers in the Odisha Motor Transport Drivers and Workers’ Welfare Board, and declaring September 1 as National Drivers’ Day. Demonstrations and dharnas in cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Balasore underscored the drivers’ resolve.

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Despite multiple rounds of talks with Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, no formal agreement was reached, though the minister acknowledged some demands as legitimate. The strike’s end follows assurances of future discussions, with private bus services resuming on Saturday after the Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association cited commuter hardships and secured government promises of security.

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