KATHMANDU, May 5: Transport entrepreneurs called off their protest after government hit back hard following yesterday's public transport shutdown. The transport entrepreneurs has released a press statement expressing willingness to resolve issues with the government through dialogue.

The government on Friday decided to scrap route permits of all defiant public vehicles, freeze the bank accounts maintained in the names of the transport entrepreneurs' committees and associations and also announced to investigate the property of their office bearers. 

Scores of office bearers of the agitating transport committees and associations were arrested from across the country as the government showed no sign of conceding their demands, according to the home ministry. In Kathmandu, the government removed hoarding boards of all public transport syndicates from New Bus Park, Gongabu, while sparing only those registered under the Companies Act as stipulated in the Transport Management Work Procedures Directives 2060 (Amended). 

Officials at the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) said they have begun scrapping the route permits of public vehicles not providing services on Friday. In Kathmandu, route permits of 26 micro buses operating from Sinamangal to Nepal Airlines Corporation Office, New Road were scrapped in the first phase, according to a spokesperson for DoTM, Tulasi Ram Aryal.

 
• transport
 
• entrepreneurs
 
• off
 
• strikes
 
• dialogues