KATHMANDU, Feb 14: The Patan High Court on Wednesday directed the government to promulgate law to regulate ‘ride sharing’ services like Tootle and Pathao operating in the Kathmandu Valley. 

The court issued the order in response to a writ petition filed some three months ago by a Taxi Special District Committee of Nepal Labor Association.

Tootle and Pathao have been operating in the Valley since the past few years and earlier the Department of Labour and Transport Management had attempted to ban the services. Although the then Minister for Physical Planning and Transportation Raghubir Mahaseth had ordered Pathao and Tootle services to stop their operations, they were allowed to continue after Prime Minister KP Oli himself intervened.

While ordering a ban on the services, then Minister Mahaseth had cited Section 2 of the Vehicle and Transportation Act 1992, which does not allow such service providers to use private vehicles in rental business. Ride-sharing services are quite popular among commuters.

But these services are sometimes criticized for poor safety especially in motorcycles and lack of insurance for passengers.

 
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