Bhubaneswar: More than 25 people, 10 of them police personnel, were injured after a protest by app-based cab, autorickshaw and bike drivers turned violent here on Wednesday, bringing traffic to a halt and severely inconveniencing commuters.Protesters vandalised 15 buses and more than 10 private cars and police vans in an hour-long violence, as they resorted to stone-pelting, prompting police to lathi-charge. Police arrested 50 people for the violence and are on the lookout for others involved.The busy stretch outside Bhubaneswar railway station turned into a flashpoint around 11 am when hundreds of drivers blocked the road as part of an agitation that began on Monday. What started as a protest over fares and driver benefits soon escalated into violence, leaving at least 10 police personnel and several protesters injured.Police asked the agitators to clear the road and stop disrupting traffic, but they continued with the blockade, bringing movement near the railway station to a standstill. The confrontation quickly escalated, with protesters pelting stones and damaging a city bus and a police van parked nearby. Police then resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.The clash lasted for nearly an hour between 11 am and noon. Following the police action, protesters fled the area and authorities cleared the road by removing vehicles used in the blockade. Police also seized several autos and cabs.The agitation caused major inconvenience to commuters across the city. Traffic between Raj Mahal Square and Ram Mandir Square remained stranded for an hour. With app-based cabs and autos largely unavailable at the railway station, airport and other key locations, many passengers were left stranded.Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena said the protesters had been advised to continue their dharna at Lower PMG but instead moved to Master Canteen and blocked traffic.“When we tried to convince them to clear the area, they turned violent and threw stones and bottles at a police van, a city bus and the police. Around 10 policemen were injured in the attack. The general public also suffered a lot because of the blockade. We have arrested 50 protesters, and many more will be arrested,” Meena said.A police constable, who was bleeding from the back of his hand, said, “One of the stones hit me, another narrowly missed my head.”Dinabandhu Nayak, president of the Smartcity Online Auto Drivers’ Association, said drivers had been protesting at Lower PMG since Monday, but the govt had shown little interest in addressing their concerns.“As we did not get any positive response from the govt, we resorted to a road blockade at Master Canteen peacefully,” Nayak said.He alleged that cab aggregator companies had not revised minimum fares despite rising fuel prices. He demanded govt regulation of fares for online cabs, autorickshaws and bikes.When contacted, transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur said, “Govt has no role in the pricing, which is decided by the aggregator. Govt only fixes the ceiling beyond which they can’t charge.”The drivers also sought cancellation fees, welfare support and other benefits from aggregator companies. “Companies are earning money, but we face losses. Companies should pay cancellation fee to drivers and provide other facilities,” one of the protesters said.For passengers, the strike translated into hours of uncertainty. Manoj Khemudu, a resident of Rasulgarh and a person with disabilities, said he remained stranded at Bhubaneswar railway station for five hours.“I cannot walk even a few metres. I reached Bhubaneswar station at 11 am and got stuck there due to the strike. I tried to book an online auto, but nobody came to pick me up. After waiting for five hours, I finally managed to hail an auto to reach home in Rasulgarh,” Khemudu said.At the airport, passengers faced similar difficulties. Anirudh Kund of Patia said he booked an online cab, but the driver did not accept the ride. “I waited for two hours until a relative reached the airport to pick me up. Later, I came to know that online cab drivers were on strike,” Kund said.The blockade also affected office-goers. Jitendra Sahu of Bapuji Nagar said he was stuck near Master Canteen Square for nearly an hour. “I reached my office at Infocity one hour late. People faced difficulties due to the protest by online cab drivers,” Sahu said.
