Rules of the road remain relaxed in the Valley as traffic police have softened their tolerance towards public vehicles transporting passengers on their roofs and motorcycles carrying more than two people following fuel crisis.

Nepal’s failure to ensure smooth import of fuel from India for more than three months now has forced vehicles to stay off roads all over the country. As a result, people are compelled to travel on roofs of buses, which are already overcrowded inside, and to ride motorbikes with triple load.

As per traffic rules, vehicles carrying passengers on the roof are subject to Rs500 fine while the fine for motorcycles carrying more than two people is Rs100.

“Compared to normal times, only 35 percent of total vehicles are currently plying Valley roads,” spokesperson of Metropolitan Traffic Police Division SP Posh Raj Pokharel said, “Therefore we have to be lenient for public convenience.” He added that traffic cops have become more stringent on motorcycles from the beginning of the week.

However, several motorcycles carrying at least three people could be seen in the Capital on Wednesday as well with traffic turning a blind eye. SP Pokharel said such activities will be completely stopped from Friday as fuel supply should slightly ease by then. “But passenger buses will be allowed to carry people on the roof for the time being.”

After about a month’s gap, Nepal Oil Corporation has been distributing gasoline to motorbikes and scooters from Tuesday. The state-owned oil supplier will distribute fuel till December 14 based on lot system through specified petrol stations. Public vehicles have been receiving 15 to 20 litres of diesel every other day.

Apart from overloading, public vehicles have also been denying fare discounts to students, complaining of higher operation cost due to smuggled fuel. President of Bagmati Federation Transport Union (BFTU) Bharat Nepal said that diesel in the black market costs between Rs250 to Rs300 per litre compared to Rs81 fixed by the NOC. “Therefore, we are currently providing student discount to only those who are in uniform,” he said. Normally, students are entitled to 45 percent discount on bus fares upon producing an identity card.

Meanwhile, several public vehicles have been found removing seats as more people fit in while standing. “Although the number of our vehicles has declined by 75 percent, such tendencies should stop immediately,” BFTU President Nepal said. “Rules have been relaxed temporarily considering public benefit, but this does not mean that passenger safety should be compromised.”

According to Nepal, around 200 people have been injured while at least a dozen others have been killed in the Valley by falling off the roofs of public vehicles. But SP Pokharel said he is aware of only one such incident so far.