“Taxis hardly agree to go by the meter and say that the rate fixed by the government was simply insufficient to cover their costs. They say that even after the government revised the fares,” said Binod Adhikari, chief executive officer at Film Himalaya production house. “They simply refuse to budge until you pay what they want. Who´s going to monitor this?” [break]
Adhikari had to pay much more than what would incur for Thamel to Singha Durbar route on the very first day the new rate came into effect. “Passengers are simply helpless. I had to pay what he wanted,” he said.
The government had not revised the rate for the last 5 years, though the taxi associations were pressing for it. The new rate has been fixed at Rs 37 per kilometer, which is a rise of Rs 5 over the previous rate.
According to Prakash Lama, a taxi driver in the valley for the last 8 years, the fare hike is welcome but still insufficient. “In the last 5 years, the government hiked it for the first time. We demanded for Rs 50 per kilometer but it is only Rs 37.”
Technical Director at the Department of Transportation Management (DoTM) Sharad Adhikary maintained the fare was increased on the basis of scientific calculation. “An increment of Rs 5 per kilometer is not a small thing. We have done it on the basis of thorough scientific calculation. It is now for the traffic police to monitor the situation.”
Meanwhile, DSP Pawan Giri, spokesperson of the metropolitan traffic police division, stated that the traffic has been booking at least 10 taxis a day for not going by the meter or violating other rules.
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