Govt cuts transport fares
REPUBLICA, Feb 11: The government has reduced transportation fare in line with the drop in fuel prices. Effective from Wednesday morning, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPPT) slashed public transport fare in the Kathmandu Valley by 2.03 percent and by metered taxi fare by 1.62 percent.
Similarly, transport fare of trucks operating in the Tarai has been reduced by 5.28 percent, and trucks operating on Narayanghat-Pokhara and Narayanghat-Kathmandu by 4.37 percent.
“We have reduced the transport fare in line with falling fuel price and the new rates will come into effect from Wednesday morning across the country,” Tulsi Prasad Sitaula, secretary of MoPPT told Republica.
The new adjustment in transportation fare means passengers in local routes in the Valley and other cities will have to pay a minimum of Rs 13 for up to four kilometers of travel and a maximum of Rs 25 for 16 to 19 kilometers.
On December 24 last year, government had slashed transportation fare by 1 percent when the prices of petrol and diesel were Rs 123 per liter and Rs 93 per liter respectively. Now, petrol and diesel cost Rs 109 per liter and Rs 86.5 per liter respectively.
“Though the transport fare has been reduced on the basis of Scientific Fare Determination Mechanism, the fare this time, has been reduced only on the basis of fuel price,” said Madhu Sudan Burlakoti, director general of the Department of Transport Management (DoTM).
The Scientific Fare Determination Mechanism allows government to revise transportation fare once a year based on fuel and different non-fuel parameters. The mechanism gives 35 percent weightage to fuel factor while adjusting the prices.
“The new adjustment in transportation fare for local routes has been slashed by at least Re 1 on understanding rather following the mechanism.” Burlakoti said. Informing that minimum transportation fare for local routes had to be Rs 13.72, Burlakoti said “The very rate will be taken as the base rate while adjusting new fare in future.”
Source: Republica
