Kathmandu, August 11
The government is planning to revoke its decision and allow public vehicles older than 20 years to ply roads across the country.
The government, in a bid to decrease the risk of accidents and curb air pollution, had not allowed vehicles older than 20 years to ply the roads since 2016. But, owing to pressure from the Federation of Public Transport Entrepreneurs, the government is planning to revoke its decision.
Federation of Public Transport Entrepreneurs for years has been asking the government not to see these vehicles as just metal and asked to treat public vehicles in the same way it treated private and government vehicles. The government has not set such rules on private and government vehicles.
A meeting between Minister for Transport and Physical Infrastructure Mohammad Ishtiyaq Rayi and transport ministers from all seven provinces has decided to amend the rule.
Following the meeting, the government started its homework on implementing this rule. A source at the ministry said that the plan was to conduct a special test on old public vehicles if they are safe before allowing them on roads.
“We will do a motor operating test before allowing them to get on the road. We’re now working on removing the legal hurdles,” says an official from the ministry.
But transport experts say that this decision will increase the risk of road accidents and suggest the government needs to look at the data before implementing it.
