National
Five transport forums to defy govt crackdown on cartels
A day after the government’s decision not to renew registration of transport committees/associations, five transport associations have announced a series of protests to oppose the move.A day after the government’s decision not to renew registration of transport committees/associations, five transport associations have announced a series of protests to oppose the move.
The Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs (FNNTE) along with other four transport sector committee/federation on Wednesday, announced a nationwide protest against the government’s decision, which is aimed at dismantling the syndicate of public transport operators to encourage competition in the transport industry.
The agitating transport operators have claimed that syndicate is necessary for systematic operation of transport sector.
“The government is trying to destroy the management aspect of the sector, which is an ultimate attack on private sector investment and its operation,” FNNTE President Yogendranath Karmacharya said. “Transport committees are responsible for operation of public transport sector in a hassle-free manner.
The protest programme includes submitting memorandum to prime minister, chief ministers; operating vehicles with black flags; and protesting outside the transport offices, among others. The protest starts on Friday.
Earlier, the agitating transport operators had threatened to enforce a nationwide transportation strike.
The government and public transport entrepreneurs are at loggerheads ever since the government opened route permits on all roads across the country after 11 public transport committees operating along the Arniko Highway protested against the route permit issued to a new company.
The government has amended the Transport Management Directives-2004 to open the route permits across the country. The amendment has also declared transport committees/associations, earlier involved in giving route permits to new entrants, as invalid and made it mandatory for transport companies to be registered with the Office of Company Registrar.
Bishwa Aryal of Nepal Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs Association, said instead of taking action against the concerned transport committees, the government had taken an extreme step of dissolving all transport committees.
There are over 300 transport committees/associations in the country. Not all of them are against the government’s decision.
Independent Transport Workers Association of Nepal has welcomed the government’s decision, saying that it will benefit transport workers.