Public vehicles stayed off the road in Kathmandu Valley and many towns across the country due to a nationwide transport strike enforced by four separate transport entrepreneurs’ federations from Friday.

The transport entrepreneurs jointly announced a nationwide transport strike from Friday to press the government to address their demands which includes creation of a separate transport ministry to work for their welfare, treat the transport sector at par with industries and insurance policy friendly to transport entrepreneurs, among others.

In Kathmandu Valley, many people are forced to walk to reach their destination as public buses and micro buses which are run by private syndicates stayed off the road. However, battery-run tempos (which carry upto 10 passengers at a time) as well as taxis have been allowed to ply freely to ease the difficulty faced by commuters.

Similarly, private vehicles are also being allowed to run without any obstruction.

However, office-goers using public buses to commute to work are being forced to walk today. There is not even a single state-owned public mass-transit in Kathmandu metropolitan city because of which the vehicular movement comes to a grinding halt everytime some political outfit calls a transport strike or bandh.

However, the announcement of transport strike goes against the government order that prohibits strikes of essential services including transport facility. nepalnews.com

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