Transport fares to be hiked by up to 35 percent

The transport fare fixation committee has decided to recommend increasing the transport fares by 25 to 35 percent.

The committee will recommended the increase in fare to the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management, according to Khagendra Mani Pokharel, director general of Department of Transport Management.

The committee has fixed various levels of fare increase for different kinds of vehicles as well as region.

Even though the committee includes representatives from the government, transport entrepreneurs and consumer forum, the representative of Nepal Consumer Right Protection Forum boycotted the meeting accusing the transporters of demonstrating 'hooliganism.'

Netra Dhital, secretary of the Forum, later deplored the decision of the committee saying that the transporters should only increase the fares corresponding with the increase in fuel price.

After the government increased the fuel price by around 21 percent, the transport entrepreneurs had pressed the authorities to increase transport fares. They even increased the fares unilaterally and announced bandh when the government said it did not accept unilateral increase in fares. nepalnews.com sd Jun 17 08

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