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Kathmandu Monday February 12, 2001 Falgun 01, 2057.
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More walk ahead for
commuters
By Utpal Raj Misra
KATHMANDU, Feb 11- The
hapless commuters of the capital are in for a harder time as their days ahead are likely
to be marked by long walks to their destinations.
Strike by public buses and microbuses have
almost paralysed the public transportation system for the last two days and worst is to
come as the taxis and three-wheelers join the protest from tomorrow.
The strike is a part of the
transporters’ pressure tactics to buckle down the government to accept their 13-point
demand.
Two of their major demands include roll back
of government’s decision to ban over twenty-year old vehicles used for public
transportation and dismissal of students-imposed 50 per cent student discount on all bus
fares.
Five left leaning student organizations have
been launching a campaign since February 5 urging the students to pay only fifty per cent
of the bus fare.
Sarad Upreti, President of the Federation of
Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs told The Kathmandu Post that they would continue with the
strike till their demands were met. So far the government has not taken any initiative to
resolve the stalemate.
"The students’ demand is not
appropriate at all. We are earning our breads by operating our vehicles. We cannot afford
to give any concession to anyone unless the government subsidizes us," Upreti says.
The students are also determined to win
concessions. Shiva Gurung, Vice Chairman of CPN-ML associated All Nepal National Free
Students’ Union says that the students will also continue their action until
concession in bus fares is formally given to the students. "There was 25 per cent
concession in bus fares for the students even during the Panchayat era," Gurung says.
Gurung argues, they are not saying that the
transporters should bear the burden.
"It does not matter to us if it is the
transporters or the government that bears the cost of the subsidy, all we want is
concession," Gurung adds.
Meanwhile, Nepal Meter Tempo Entrepreneurs
Association, today issued a press release extending support for the ongoing transport
strike. "Keeping in mind the welfare of the transport entrepreneurs we have decided
to support the strike," the release states.
With both the transport entrepreneurs and the
students sticking to their guns and the government keeping mum on the issue, the common
people are once again bearing the heat.
With no bus or microbus plying the Kathmandu
streets today and with very few numbers of safa tempos operating, the commuters had no
options but to walk.
"I had to walk all the way from Balkhu
to Baneshwor," says Navaraj Upreti an employee in a private company, adding ,"it
is terrible the way things are going", he adds.
"There is no problem for the ones with
their own means of transportation but for people like us from the lower income brackets,
it is a very big problem," says Savita Maharjan, a housewife, walking along Teku with
her two children.
"It is tolerable for the adults who can
manage to walk but what about the children?" she questions.
National Transport Consumer Cooperatives
Association, a consumer’s right forum, has asked the government and all the involved
party to resolve the problem amicably. The strike has harassed the consumers, says the
forum.
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