Vehicular movement to resume in stalled Araniko highway

Vehicular movement is all set to resume in the Araniko highway two weeks after a dispute between locals and bus owners brought transportation system in the route into a complete halt.

On Tuesday, the two sides finally reached a breakthrough in their long drawn negotiations to resume vehicular movement in the Araniko highway, the road that directly links Kathmandu to the Chinese border town of Khasa, after the bus owners agreed to operate vehicles in a "efficient and competitive" way in Araniko highway, Lamosanghu road, Jiri road, Pushpa Lal road and their feeder roads.

In the meeting between the representatives of Araniko Transport Service Committee and the locals held in Jiri of Dolakha district there was also agreement on not letting the buses and public vehicles ply along the route without road permits. The district administration had mediated in the talks between the two sides.

Similarly, buses plying along the route would also give discount on fares to their passengers from now on.

After the agreement, the local have returned the 26 vehicles of Araniko Transportation they had taken under their control.

The locals had halted public transportation in the route demanding cancellation of syndicate system in the Araniko highway and its feeder roads including an end to the monopoly of Araniko highway in the route.

Due to the obstruction created by the locals, transportation system in the district had come down to a grinding halt as no vehicles from Sindhupalchowk, Ramechhap, Dolakha, Kavrepalanchowk came to the capital city or went there for more than two weeks. nepalnews.com ag July 01 08