Government not to renew 305 public transport committees

Purna Prasad Mishra
KATHMANDU, April 18: The government is all set to stop renewal of the 305 public transport committees which are imposing syndicate in the public transport in the name of social service.

The committees registered as social organizations now have to get registered at the Office of the Company Registrar under the Company Act and recorded at the Department of Transport Management. The committee would not be registered as organizations from the coming fiscal year.

Taking advantage of the political transition, the transport entrepreneurs had decided to give route permit to any new entrepreneur with the recommendation of the Transport Entrepreneurs Federation and the Transport Committees which was given permission by then Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai.

The Federation used to fleece up to Rs 1.1 million from the new transport entrepreneur for operating bus on particular route. If this rule was flouted by operating new vehicle without approval from the Federation, the gang raised by the Federation used to threaten the new entrant and vandalize the vehicles.

Importantly, the bus committees, for being registered as the social organization, never pay tax to the government.

Earlier the transport entrepreneurs, organizing a press conference, accused the government of unnecessarily controlling the transport business by bringing the transport working procedures directing without consulting with them.

They have also denied the accusations that transport employees avoid tax, take bribe while giving route permit and have imposed syndicate in business.

The Federation has also announced programs of protest against the government. Submission of memorandum to the Prime Minister, ministers, provinces’ chief ministers, corner meets in provinces, picketing of offices of transport and parking vehicles in garages are the parts of programs of protest. RSS