Chitwan, September 11
Transporters based in Chitwan enforced a transport strike along local routes in the district on Sunday, a day after traffic police took 11 transporters under control on the charge of fleecing passengers.
With the movement of hundreds of public vehicles like buses halted, people are bearing the brunt of the strike. Police have accused transporters of collecting exorbitant fares from passengers and flouting traffic rules, while transporters have accused police of collecting fine from them as per their whims and fancies.
Basanta Kunwar, chief of Chitwan police, said problems have arisen because transporters are flouting the state-sanctioned rules.
He said they arrested transporters in a bid to rein in anarchy in the transport sector, and threatened to bring all transporters concerned under the purview of law if they do not come to an agreement.
On Saturday, police arrested coordinator of Federation of Nepal National Transport Entrepreneurs (Narayani zone) Kapil Pande, vice-president Ashok Pokharel and Bhuwan Baral, president of Chautari Transport Entrepreneurs’ Association.
They also brought a bus under control and arrested Raj Kumar Shrestha, Sudarshan Tamang, Magara Mahato, Dhan Bahadur Gurung, Manoj BK, Dipak Kumar and Laxman Chaudhary on the charge of trying to enforce a transport strike.
Transporters are enforcing the strike demanding the release of their friends.
With effect from September 4, Chitwan district administration office had fixed new transport fares. The DAO has accused transporters of slapping exorbitant fares on passengers.
See also: Stuck on the road due to transport strike? Nepal Police buses may be able to help you
In a month, 582 feecing taxi drivers faced Traffic Police action in Kathmandu
After gang-rape of Kapilvastu woman, locals shut East-West Highway demanding justice
55 Biplav Maoists held in Nepal while enforcing transport strike
