Kathmandu, February 18
Following two decisions to increase the fuel price within the past fortnight, public transport operators have demanded that the government hike the transport fare also, by up to 40 per cent.
A few days ago, the transporters had demanded that the government withdraw the decision to hike the fuel prices, but snubbing them, the government had made a similar decision again.
After that, the transporters have demanded that the government allow them to charge travellers more in consideration of the increased fuel cost and other expenses. They have been claiming that the costs of lubricants and various accessories and spare parts of the vehicles have increased since the last scientific fare adjustment in 2013.
“When the fare was revised last time, a litre of diesel cost Rs 71. Today, it is close to Rs 100,” Rajendra Kumar Shrestha, the president of the Federation of Truck Transport Entrepreneurs Nepal, says, “Also considering the Nepal Rastra Bank data of inflation, the transport fare should go up by 30 to 40 per cent.”
Meanwhile, Saroj Sitaula, the general secretary of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs (FNNTE), comments the transporters are not in a state of bearing the recent fuel price hike as their business has been severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
