KATHMANDU, April 28: Since April 2, 2025, the Nepal Teachers' Association (NTA) has continuously protested in the Maitighar-Babrahamahal-New Baneshwar area. The protest has disrupted transportation, affecting the livelihoods of transport entrepreneurs and workers. In response, transport entrepreneurs have warned that they will launch a stronger protest if the route is not cleared within four days (by this Thursday).
Bharat Nepal, General Secretary of the Central Federation of Public Transport Nepal, stated that transport entrepreneurs contacted Kathmandu's Chief District Officer Rishiram Tiwari last Friday and demanded the immediate reopening of the Maitighar-Babrahamahal-New Baneshwar route. Speaking to the media on Sunday, he emphasized that if the route is not cleared within four days (from Monday to Thursday), they will park their vehicles in the garage as a form of protest.
He said, "Around 4,000 vehicles travel through this route daily. When the route is closed, each vehicle loses at least Rs 1,500 per day. Previously, vehicles on this route earned about Rs 3,000 daily. Now, they make only between Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,500. As a result, the route's closure has inflicted transport entrepreneurs a loss of at least Rs 1.56 billion. Additionally, other sectors have faced losses in the millions."
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He said the closure of this route has left around 12,000 transport workers without work. Nepal added that the disruption has affected not only this route but also the entire Valley's transportation system. Passengers have also faced significant difficulties.
"We contacted the Chief District Officer of Kathmandu and informed him that the closure of the route from Maitighar to New Baneshwar has caused significant losses. The livelihoods of transport workers have been disrupted. We demanded the immediate reopening of the route. If the route is not reopened, we will raise our demands and begin protests in phases," Nepal said. "During our conversation, the Chief District Officer of Kathmandu appeared to take this matter seriously. We hope to see a resolution soon."
He stated that if the route is not reopened within four days, transport entrepreneurs will take to the streets and demand the immediate enactment of the Transport Business Act. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has prepared a draft of the Transport Business Act, but the bill has not yet been presented to Parliament.
On the 17th day of the teachers' protest, the NTA submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Home Affairs through the District Administration Office. The memorandum demands that authorities create an environment for the immediate resumption of transportation on the route. It highlights that the ongoing road blockages due to the teachers' protest in the Maitighar-Babrahamal-Baneshwar area have caused difficulties for workers and led to financial losses for business owners, including missed bank installments, taxes, and insurance payments. The memorandum also notes that the ongoing protests on the main roads of the capital have directly impacted the transportation sector.
Furthermore, the memorandum also states that such activities in the center of the capital have sent a negative message both domestically and internationally, creating an uncomfortable situation for regular road users, common citizens, and the entire transportation and other businesses. Considering the anger from transport sector entrepreneurs, workers, employees, and general consumers, the memorandum urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to facilitate the resumption of transportation.
