Taxi drivers plying their trade in Pokhara without a meter protested on Tuesday, halting vehicular movement in the city after police took a number of taxis for cheating passengers.

The taxi drivers from Pokhara Taxi Entrepreneurs Committee were adamant that they will not operate their vehicles on meter.

Taxis affiliated to the committee had blocked various points in the city including Prithvi Chowk, Sabhagriha Chowk among others as a part of their protest. This resulted in obstruction of vehicular movement all around the city. Ambulance and local transportation service was largely affected by the protest that continued for nearly five hours. The taxi protest comes a day after the police took control of 18 taxis and sent them to the Transport Management Office for not operating on meter.

“We took control of taxis after we received complaints from passengers being cheated by overcharging taxis,” said Kaski Police Chief SP Ashok Singh. “The taxi entrepreneurs might have thought that it would be better for them if they did not run on meter.” The taxi drivers, however, ended the protest after the police warned that they would use bulldozers to remove the taxis from the streets. Post’s repeated attempt to call Prakash Mani Tiwari, chairman of the committee, regarding the issue, however, failed.