Private bus owners didn’t operate the vehicles in the North Dinajpur district on Sunday in protest against an attack on some of them at the Panishali toll plaza on Saturday.

But the indefinite bus strike was lifted later on Sunday following assurances from police and the district administration.

A meeting was held on Sunday afternoon with the bus owners in the presence of representatives of the company that is running the plaza.

“Police have arrested one person and are searching for some others in connection with yesterday’s attack. As of now, it has been decided that no toll will be collected at the plaza till February 1. We will then sit for another meeting to discuss the issue. That is why we have withdrawn our strike,” said a representative of the North Dinajpur District Bus and Minibus Owners’ Association.

The withdrawal of the strike by the private bus owners has come as a major relief for the administration, said officials.

The officials said they would have to take around 12,000 beneficiaries of different social welfare schemes from the district to Gazole (in Malda) on Tuesday, where the chief minister would attend a public distribution programme.

“Around 250 buses are needed to take these people to the venue. It is good that the private bus owners have withdrawn the strike or else, it would have been a major problem,” said a source.