Prithivi Highway Bus Entrepreneurs Association and other transport operators in Pokhara had unilaterally hiked public transportation fares by 30 percent, stating that they could not provide services at normal rates after buying fuel from the black market at three times the actual price."We have decided to withdraw our decision to increase the fares for now as the government has promised to make fuel available for public transportation in required quantities," said Yogendra Bahadur KC, general secretary of Prithivi Highway Bus Entrepreneurs Association. "However, we will be compelled to hike back the fares if the government fails to live up to its words," he added.
The association runs 1,200 vehicles across the country, with 340 buses operating in Pokhara alone. But the number of their vehicles in operation has reduced by one-fourth due to the ongoing acute fuel crisis resulting from the Indian blockade, claimed KC.
"Even after we reduced the number of buses on the road to 200 from 340, the government has not been able to provide us fuel in sufficient quantities," he said, adding that they will stick to old fares if the local administration provides them needed fuel.
According to Dharma Raj Adhikari, coordinator of Federation of Nepalese National Transportation Entrepreneurs Association, the administration has assured to make 20,000 liters of diesel available to transport entrepreneurs on alternate days. "This quantity of fuel promised is far from enough. But we have decided to settle for it considering the country's current situation," he said.
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