Banepa residents scatter transport cartel

• Bus owners plan to block traffic fails

Apr 3, 2018-Banepa residents and bus commuters united as one group on Monday and scattered a cartel of transporters that had planned to block traffic 9 am onwards on Araniko Highway for one hour.

Their blockade did not last even 30 minutes as irate residents descended on the cartel of 13 operators protesting the Department of Transport Management’s (DoTM) decision to grant route permit to Mayur Yatayat, said a traffic officer.

Speaking to the Post, District Traffic Police Inspector Shekhar Jung Malla said, “Many local residents and bus passengers protested against the transport syndicate and disrupted their blockade plan.”

Similarly, a large posse of security personnel foiled the cartel’s plan to block vehicular movement for an hour in Koteshwor.

The DoTM decision to allow Mayur Yatayat to ply buses had annoyed the cartel. They demanded scraping its route permit.

On March 15, the department issued route permit to Mayur Yatayat to operate its 24 buses from Kalanki to Banepa. The ring route started from Banepa, Bhaktapur, Koteshwor, Ekantakuna, Balkhu-Kalanki, Balaju, Chakrapath, Chabahil, Gaushala, and back to Banepa.  On Saturday, the DOTM published a notice that it would take stringent action against transporters who resisted the government’s decision to break a transport syndicate.

Banepa resident and Nepal Law College student Indralaxmi Ghimire told the Post, “The residents and passengers in a rare show of strength protested against the money minded bus owners. We are against this syndicate which does not care about bus passengers’ problem.”

Banepa senior citizen Ashok Thami, 71, also slammed the syndicate. “Mayur Yatayat offers better facilities for elderly people. Why doesn’t the syndicate compete with it by giving better facilities, instead of blocking traffic?”      

Mayur Yatayat has started free transport facility for elderly people above age 70. It offers separate seats for women and pregnant women.  It also gives 50 percent discount on bus fare, for differently able people. 

Source: ekantipur