BUS, TAXI PLANS FOR BADI COMMUNITY: Transporters cry foul, announce nationwide protest

KATHMANDU, AUG 15 -The government move to allow import of taxies to youths belonging to the Badi community and operate buses or taxis through cooperatives in urban areas has enraged transport entrepreneurs.

The country’s major transport entrepreneurs’ associations including the Federation of Truck Tanker and Transport Entrepreneurs, Nepal, and Nepal Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs’ Federation, have threatened to call a nationwide indefinite transport strike from Wednesday in protest against the government plan.

The entrepreneurs have demanded the government first meet their 41-point charter of demands that include scrapping the provision to waive customs duty on the import of taxi for youths of the Badi community and cancel plans to operate buses or taxis in urban areas with the involvement of transport
workers by setting up cooperatives. They have also called for an effective implementation of the insurance policy, implementation of various agreements signed with them in the past and adjustment of transport fares as per the fuel price hike.

Acting Director General of the Department of Transport Krishna Dawadi said the entrepreneurs want to stop the government from implementing the customs waiver for the import of taxis for youths of the Badi community. “They have also strongly objected to the government’s move to allow buses or taxis in urban areas through cooperatives,” he added.

With pressure from the transport entrepreneurs mounting, the government has formed a seven-member team under Dinesh Hari Adhikari, the Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management, to hold talks with the entrepreneurs. The team is scheduled to hold a meeting with the entrepreneurs on Tuesday. The entrepreneurs plan to bring traffic to a standstill across the country from 12 noon to 1 pm on Tuesday.

The government had, through the new budget, decided to provide consessional loans to buy taxis to youths of the Badi community. The government had also come up with a provision allowing transport workers to operate buses and taxis in Kathmandu and other urban areas by setting up cooperatives.

Transport entrepreneurs said they were forced to announce the indefinite strike after the government turned a deaf ear to their demands. “We will hold talks with the government team on Tuesday, but will also go ahead with our nationwide protest,” said Dol Nath Khanal, the general secretary of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs.

He said the government has “vested interests” in the customs tariff exemption plan and that if implemented, could affect their business.