The proposal hasn´t been tabled for discussion in the cabinet meeting, following strong protest from transport entrepreneurs. [break]
“The proposal is gathering dust in the cabinet for the last one month. This means the proposal won´t be tabled in the cabinet meeting, considering the strong protest from transport entrepreneurs,” a highly placed cabinet source told myrepublica.com on Sunday.
Protesting the proposal to operate three-wheeler taxis, taxi entrepreneurs had recently handed over a memorandum to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Labor Minster Mohammad Aftab Alam recently.
As per the personal interest of Minister Alam, MoLTM had forwarded the proposal to the cabinet in the last week of May, seeking policy-level decision to allow Rex All Terrain Vehicles Pvt Ltd -- a Kathmandu-based company -- import three-wheeler motorcycles from China. The proposed vehicle can accommodate three persons, including a driver, and has narrow wheels.
Transport entrepreneurs have been opposing the MoLTM´s proposal, stating that it would compound traffic problem in the capital which has been already overcrowded by four-wheeled taxis. They had also raised safety issues claiming that the narrow body structure could pose risks.
The company had sought permission to import three-wheelers from China even though the government has suspended registration of new taxis in the capital. The government has been suspending registration of new taxis in the capital since 2000. About 7,000 taxis ply in the capital every day.
The government had banned three-wheeler tempos from 2003, citing traffic problems, risky travel and rise in pollution level. The government had banned import of three-wheeler metered tempos in November, 1991.
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