Kathmandu, June 3 -- Karna Bahadur Karki, aged 73, along with his sister Krishna Kumari Adhikari, who is 60 years old, both from Butwal, came to Kathmandu on Saturday expecting a planned checkup at a private clinic in Thapathali. Unexpectedly, they found themselves impacted by an abrupt transportation shutdown.
When representatives from The Post encountered the brother and sister at the hospital around 2:30 pm, they were oblivious to the reasons behind the public transport workers' strike.
“We traveled to Kathmandu for our routine checkup and are currently staying with relatives,” explained Karki. “Getting to the hospital was quite challenging today, and we’re not sure how we’ll make our way back home.”
On Monday, a countrywide transportation strike initiated by public transit workers trapped numerous commuters and created difficulties for patients, caretakers, and individuals traveling for different purposes.
The central coordinating body of transportation providers initiated the strike with the aim of safeguarding public transit systems. This group has demanded an open-ended suspension of public transportation services as a response to the province’s latest move to establish regulations governing ride-sharing and autonomous driving services.
Recently, the Gandaki provincial government introduced regulations to legalize ride-sharing within a formal regulatory structure. Authorities state that this move aims to guarantee user protection, secure proper insurance coverage, and uphold the rights of those utilizing these services, as well as facilitate tax collection for the government.
On May 15, the Gandaki provincial government implemented the ride-hailing regulations-2025. Meanwhile, the Bagmati province is currently examining a proposed regulation aimed at bringing these services under provincial supervision and imposing taxes on them.
This action comes after several instructions from the Supreme Court pushing both federal and provincial bodies to oversee ride-hailing and autonomous driving services. Shortly following the publication of these new guidelines in the provincial bulletin, the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs initiated demonstrations requesting the annulment of the regulations.
Transport business owners strongly oppose the clause permitting privately-registered vehicles to provide hired services or transport passengers. They argue that the regulations implemented by the Gandaki province government contravene the Federal Act, specifically violating Section 8 of the Motor Vehicle and Transport Management Act 1993 (amended in 2018).
This provision characterizes a privately owned car as one possessing a registration certificate for personal use. According to section 8(2), no such private automobile should be employed for public transportation purposes.
Hence, they contend, the local regulations ought to be invalidated.
On Monday, when public transportation employees staged a walkout to contest the new ride-sharing rules, commuters faced significant disruptions. This inconvenience worsened as ride-hail drivers took advantage of the situation to increase their rates.
Individuals were burdened with further expenses due to ride-hailing companies imposing additional fees, capitalizing on the protest.
Sabita Gurung, who is 34 years old and lives in Jorpati, frequently goes to the Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital in Thapathali. Her mother-in-law is receiving treatment there for cervical cancer.
We've been utilizing ride-hailing services for their ease of use, however, today we encountered unexpectedly steep prices," Gurung stated. "Given that there was no alternative public transportation available, we were left with no option but to proceed with the payment.
Although some users of ride-hailing services complained about higher prices, particular firms refuted accusations of excessive charges and advised customers against using unregulated trips, as these are more difficult to supervise and control.
To address the effects of the strike, Sajha Yatayat, Nepal Police, and the Armed Police Force ran buses on several major routes within the Kathmandu Valley, offering some respite to travelers.
In light of the ongoing strike by public transportation workers, the federal government appealed to the Gandaki provincial government on Monday to suspend the enforcement of the contentious rules for now.
During the talks conducted at the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday, an agreement was formed where the central government asked the provincial administration to refrain from promptly implementing the updated regulations for ride-sharing services.
The gathering at the ministry, which included Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, along with delegates from several other departments, resolved to establish a panel tasked with outlining the areas of consensus.
A discussion panel consisting of members from both the government and the protesting group has been established, led by Engineer Krishna Raj Pant, who serves as a joint secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.
In the meantime, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has strongly objected to the disturbance of public transportation services.
On Monday, the NHRC issued a statement asserting that the disruption of vital services like public transportation impacted numerous individuals, particularly affecting senior citizens, patients needing medical attention, students, employees, and candidates sitting for Teachers Service Commission exams.
The commission stated that although conducting peaceful demonstrations is a crucial aspect of democratic freedom, exercising one’s rights should not come at the expense of others’ liberties. Interrupting vital services such as public transportation can significantly hinder people's capacity to uphold their core human rights.
The NHRC stated that it was keeping an eye on media publications and collecting data from relevant parties. It verified that the shutdown had restricted citizen mobility not just in Gandaki province, where protests started on May 30, but also in the Kathmandu Valley and various regions across the nation.
On Sunday and Monday, transportation strikes initiated by public vehicle drivers resulted in deserted streets in urban areas such as Pokhara, Bharatpur, Janakpur, Bhairahawa, and Dhangadhi, leaving numerous travelers without alternatives. The suspension of vehicular traffic in key towns severely disrupted daily operations in neighboring regions too.
In Lamjung and Kaski, even the vehicles transporting tourists were halted.
Additionally, the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) released a statement voicing their worry about the disruptions affecting the tourism industry.
The declaration stated, “Tourism forms the bedrock of our nation’s wealth and has suffered significantly due to the continuing strike.” It also urged, “All parties involved should unite and address this matter promptly.”
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