Valley transport strike leaves commuters high and dry

Public transport users in Kathmandu faced difficulties in commuting to their destinations Sunday due the valley-wide public transportation strike called by the Bagmati transport entrepreneurs.

Saying that the government has not allowed them to increase their transportation charges despite massive hike in petroleum products and skyrocketing prices of vehicles and spare parts, the Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs announced an indefinite Bagmati Transportaion strike from Sunday.

Since morning only private vehicles were seen plying in the streets of Kathmandu, which used to be jam-packed with public transportation in normal days. Few taxis were also seen, but passengers were demanded hefty off the meter fares for a ride.

Transport entrepreneurs have said they won't obstruct private vehicles from plying on the road, but would continue with their strike until the government concedes to their demands.

Due to the strike, office workers as well as other public transport users were forced to walk all the way to their workplaces and other destinations, adding to their trouble.

"I am sure I will be late for office today," said Bikram Rai while hurrying to his office located in Lalitpur. It normally takes him 15 minutes to reach his office on a public transportation, but more than one hour walking.

Yesterday, a few transport workers had engaged in vandalism and even clashed with the police demanding that government allow them to increase their fares.

In a similar incident Friday, taxi drivers had parked their cars in the middle of the road for many hours in the main thoroughfares of the capital city demanding security for them in the wake of increase in incidents of killing and looting of night-shift taxi drivers in the country. Due to the obstruction in vehicular movement, commuters faced much trouble as they faced long hours of traffic jam. nepalnews.com ag June 15 08