PHULBANI: The lone OSRTC bus operating between Phulbani and Cuttack has become a major source of distress for passengers, as it repeatedly fails to complete its journey. The bus (OD02 CV 9208), which departs Phulbani at 6 a.m. and is scheduled to reach Cuttack by noon, rarely arrives on time due to the deteriorated condition of the route. According to regular commuters, the vehicle gets stuck on the road almost five days a week and is forced to stop well before its final destination.
On Sunday, the bus began its trip on schedule, but barely 40 km before Bhubaneswar, one of its wheels burst. Since it was a public holiday, the bus could not receive timely administrative approval for a wheel replacement. The required permissions could only be granted after 5 p.m., causing a long delay. As a result, the vehicle was unable to proceed to Cuttack, leaving passengers stranded near Khurda for hours. Eventually, the bus was withdrawn from service for the day.
This is not an isolated incident — a similar breakdown had occurred less than 48 hours earlier. With such frequent disruptions, travellers are left confused and exhausted, often waiting for hours before being forced to board other buses to complete their journey.
Among the worst affected on Sunday was Pragya Parmita Barik from Phulbani, who had sent essential medicines, important documents, and winter clothing for her daughter studying at Ravenshaw University in Cuttack. The student kept waiting anxiously, only to learn from the driver that he had no idea when — or if — the bus would reach Cuttack. After waiting until 6 p.m., she returned to her hostel without receiving the parcel.
When the student contacted OSRTC Phulbani District Manager Abhishek Samantharai to trace the missing packet, he expressed his inability to help, stating that the bus was running under the Bhubaneswar unit’s control and that the Bhubaneswar staff were neither cooperating nor responding to requests.
Upon reaching out to OSRTC Bhubaneswar District Manager Prashant Kumar Hota, the parents were told bluntly that OSRTC buses are not permitted to carry parcels and questioned why such items were sent through the service. He reportedly refused to take responsibility for locating the packet.
This has sparked serious concern: why should passengers suffer due to coordination failures between the Phulbani and Bhubaneswar units? Commuters say they are fed up with the recurring disruptions on the Phulbani–Cuttack route and are demanding immediate steps to restore normal, dependable service.
