Nawalparasi. The gandaki state government is going to allow vehicles with red number plates registered for private purposes to be used as rented vehicles.
Passengers have been suffering due to the closure of public vehicles by the businessmen in protest against the decision taken by the Gandaki State government. Passengers travelling short distances on foot and three-wheelers are heading towards their destinations through autorickshaws and ride-sharing, but the passengers going far away are waiting for vehicles on the roadside. Passengers complain that they have to face a lot of trouble while waiting for vehicles on the side of the highway in the hot sun.
Radhika Chhetri, who was on her way to Butwal from Gaindakot in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta East), said she was very sad when the vehicle did not ply. She was waiting for the vehicle with her minor son in her arms.
“We have to wait for the car in the hot sun, while the baby is crying due to the heat,” she said. Chhetri said that although the passenger buses were closed, they refused to take the truck when the truck was stopped to travel in the freight truck. “The passengers suffer even if they protest for whatever demand,” she said, adding, “Even the rules prohibiting the closure of public vehicles, which are considered essential services, have not been followed.” ’
Keshav Sharma of Butwal said that he did not get a vehicle when he tried to go to Butwal in the morning after staying at Narayanghat at night after returning from foreign employment. “It was late last night and I stayed at Narayanghat due to exhaustion,” he said, adding, “I got up in the morning and came to Gaindakot after not getting a car to go to Butwal. ’
Sharma said that the passengers should not be hurt by shutting down the vehicles as the transport entrepreneurs are not addressed. Some passengers, however, are unhappy that public vehicles are not plying when they come to the highway to go to their destinations by ride-sharing and three-wheeler autos.
Prince Shahi of Gulmi said, “I came here from Tandi of Chitwan and reached Gaindakot at 5 am. Shahi complained that they were sad when the government did not listen to the businessmen, saying that they were going home without knowing that the vehicle would be closed.
“If the government had listened to the demands of the businessmen, it would not have been closed,” he said. However, it is we the people who suffer if we do not think about where the passengers have to go, get sick, go to work. “It is not a good thing to shut down in the name of fulfilling our demands,” he said.
Transport entrepreneurs, however, have claimed that they did not hurt the passengers. Transport entrepreneur Dipak Mishra said they would not ply until the government listens to them and decides to allow vehicles purchased for private purposes to carry passengers.
“Only hired vehicles should be allowed to carry vehicles and vehicles registered for private purposes should not be allowed to carry passengers,” he said. ’
Issuing a press release on Sunday, the Save Public Transport Central Struggle Committee said that public transport vehicles carrying passengers have come to an indefinite halt across the country from today. Passengers across the country have not only suffered due to the closure of vehicles as the government is not serious about the demands put forth by the entrepreneurs, but also the essential work has come to a standstill.
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