Gandaki, February 4
Private vehicles in Gandaki Province will now be required to be decommissioned after 25 years of use, marking the first instance of such a regulation for private vehicles in the country.
Previously, this provision only applied to public transport vehicles under federal law, with a stipulated lifespan of 20 years.
The new provision comes into effect in Gandaki Province, after the Gandaki Province Vehicle and Transport Regulations, 2024, was published in the provincial gazette on February 1.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport Management, Tikaram Paudel, said that the age of private vehicles has been set at 25 years for the first time in Nepal. For e-public vehicles, the limit is for thirty years. It is mentioned in the regulations that the ministry can create and issue necessary standards to convert public and other vehicles into electric vehicles.
According to spokesperson Paudel, the new regulations not only establish a legal framework for overseeing and legitimising transportation services offered through ride-sharing apps but also outline the required procedures. Following the necessary steps, including obtaining passenger insurance, transport services can be legally provided through ride-sharing apps at predetermined fares.
The regulations have also increased the fine to be paid by taxis that do not run on the metre system. From now on, the minimum rate of fine will be increased to Rs 10,000 from the existing Rs 2,100.
Furthermore, the road permit license can be suspended for six months as the maximum penalty.
Around 3,500 taxis are operating in Gandaki province including 2,500 in Pokhara alone.
