Syndicate imposers against issuance of new transport route permits
KASKI, AUG 09 -
Transport entrepreneurs associated with the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs are hell-bent on stopping the issuance of route permits for the operation of Euro III standard public vehicles.
Operation of high-standard bus service was supposed to ensure comfortable ride for the general public, but the transporters are against competition from any other bus service and want to maintain their syndicate unchallenged. That’s why the federation has warned of organising an indefinite strike in the Gandaki zone.
Organising a press meet Pokhara on Thursday, the federation warned of shutting down Kaski district on August 13 and enforcing an indefinite Gandaki Zone shutdown from August 15.
The federation has demanded that the government scrap the registration of both new buses and New Bindhabasini Transport Entrepreneurs Committee which is planning to start a bus service in the Pokhara city.
Local administration last week registered New Bindhabasini which plans to operate air-conditioned Euro III emission standard public vehicles in the tourist hub
of Pokhara. Transporters objecting the registration of the new committee have been organising Chakka Jams, blocking the transit points and staging sit in protests in front of the District Administration Office.
Amid pressure from the transporters, the Gandaki Zone Transport Management Office has refused to provide route permission for the operation New Bindhabasini’s 10 Euro III buses in the town. The government agency’s failure to object syndicate has put the new committee’s investment at risk. It has invested Rs 30 million in the 10 vehicles and plans to import 48 more.
“Even as we try to operate modern vehicles in the city, those who are supporting syndicate are against our plans,” said Pramod Dawadi, a member of New Bindhabasini. “This has put an investment of Rs 30 million at risk.”
However, the transport entrepreneurs opposing the new committee denied that they were trying to impose syndicate in the transport service sector. “Our protest is not for imposing syndicate,” said Basanta Pradhan, president of Gandaki-Dhaulagiri Zone Public Transport Entrepreneurs’ Coordination Committee. “It is high time that the registration of new buses is stopped considering increased traffic and pollution in the tourist city.”
According to Pradhan, there are 378 public buses operating within the city and 45 of them remain in the garage every day for over capacity. Even as the transport entrepreneurs have been raising concern over such a high number of vehicles and lack of parking space, the government authorities concerned have not shown any interest in solving the problem.
In the past too, transport entrepreneurs here had organised protests to discourage registration of new public vehicles to continue their syndicate. Now, they are citing increased traffic to impose the syndicate system which has been banned by the Supreme Court.
Prithvi Rajmarg Transport Operators’ Committee, Taxi Entrepreneurs Committee and Pokhara City Transport Entrepr-eneurs Committee have long been opposing the registration of any new transport committee in the zone. For which, the people have been barred from availing comfortable public transport service.
A total of 21 transport entrepreneurs’ group of the region are against the issuance of new permits. It has been normal to see scuffles if anyone tries to register new transport committee.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
