Transport entrepreneurs warn govt of running vehicles in protest

Kathmandu, Jul 1

Transport entrepreneurs have warned the government of operating vehicles in sign of protest in case it ignored their demands and failed to extend support to them through immediate measures.

In a meeting with Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Basanta Kumar Nembang on Wednesday, they urged the government to take note of the impact of the COVID-9 pandemic on the public transportation sector.

A delegation of transport entrepreneurs led by Federation of Nepali National Transport Entrepreneurs President Yogendra Nath Karmacharya had met the minister to update him about the plight of the entrepreneurs, workers and vehicles due to more than three-month long lockdown imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

They have been making rounds of the concerned agencies, including the ministry and Department of Transport Management (DoTM).

Considering the continuous demands from the entrepreneurs, the Development and Technology Committee under the Parliament had directed the MoPIT and DoTM to draw up a plan for the operation of public transportation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Although the other directions of the committee – such as providing concession in tax, rescheduling the loans and extending refinancing - are unlikely to provide immediate relief to the transport business, the DoTM had prepared the procedures to operate public transportation in the COVID-19 situation, but it is yet to be finalised.

But, the procedure is difficult to adhere to, it needs multiple refinements, said Saroj Sitaula, General Secretary of the federation.

The government is not in a mood to allow public transport vehicles to move on the road until the lockdown is in place.

According to the entrepreneurs, more than 400,000 public vehicles are parked in the garages and elsewhere and their parts, including tyres and batteries are being ruined. The government has extended the lockdown till July 22, and although there are indications of easing it in multiple phases after that, preparations are yet to be made on the part of the government.

“Hundreds of thousands workers are facing problems to manage their daily amenities while entrepreneurs are facing hard times to arrange the instalment to repay the bank loan,” Sitaula said.

He said that they had urged Minister Nembang to announce immediate relief and date to operate the public transport and also expressed their grievances that the government had shown indifference to them.

Transport entrepreneurs demanded with the minister to exempt the bank instalment for the crisis period, reconsider the interest on loan, provide refinancing, and waive off the charges on transport and vehicle-related works such as route renewal, vehicle test and pass and renewal of driver’s license.

Minister Nembang said that the ministry would coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health in operating the vehicles. He assured that the government would soon allow taxis to operate.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Shishir Kumar Dhungana had assured the entrepreneurs, who met the former on Wednesday, to halt the payment of the bank instalment for the pandemic period.

A couple of months ago, the federation had requested the government and the MoF for the same.

The size of investment in public transportation sector has reached Rs. 1 trillion which includes Rs. 700 billion bank loan.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 2 July 2020.