Govt-transporters faceoff: Ministry warns of strong action

Consumer rights body wants trouble quelled

KATHMANDU, AUG 17 -The Ministry of Labour and Transport Management has warned of strong action against transport entrepreneurs as per the Essential Service Operation Act if they do not call off their nationwide strike planned from Thursday onwards.

The ministry said the entrepreneurs’ 41-point charter of demands was under discussion and headed for a “positive direction.” It said the Act would be used if they enforce the strike with force.

According to the ministry, the transporters must withdraw their strike as the transport service falls under the essential service category. Closing services under this category is illegal. A government talks team is also slated to hold a second round of talks with the entrepreneurs on Thursday afternoon.


Four agitating transporters associations—Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs National Federation, Federation of Truck Tanker and Transport Entrepreneurs-Nepal, Nepal Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs Federation and Federation of Goods Carriers Entrepreneurs—have demanded the government meet their demands.

The demands include scrapping a provision to waive customs duty on the import of taxis for youths of the Badi community and a plan to operate buses or taxis in the Kathmandu Valley and other urban areas through the involvement of transport workers and by establishing cooperatives.

“Homework on their demands is on and headed for a positive direction,” said Krishna Hari Puskar Karna, the assistant spokesperson of the ministry. He said the entrepreneurs must immediately withdraw their strike as agreed in the first round of talks on Tuesday for the smooth operation of the transport service.

Meanwhile, Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights-Nepal has appealed to the government to arrest top executive committee members of all the four federations and initiate legal action. It has also asked the government to suspend all the four federations as they have called a strike against the Essential Service Operation Act, the Consumer Rights Protection Act, Black Marketing Act and Competition Promotion and Market Protection Act.

The consumer rights forum on Wednesday demanded the government arrest Yogendra Nath Karmacharya, president of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs National Federation; general secretary Dol Nath Khanal, president of the Federation of Truck Tanker and Transport Entrepreneurs-Nepal Arjun Ranabhat; general secretary Rajendra Shrestha and president of Nepal Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs Federation Khageshwor Bohara.

General secretary of the rights forum Jagan Nath Mishra said the entrepreneurs’ call to halt transportation service was against the rights of the consumers. He added that entrepreneurs were trying to create a monopoly by not allowing others to import vehicles.