HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Bus entrepreneurs agree to end strike in capital

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, May 2: Bus and minibus entrepreneurs, which has stopped running the vehicles after the students vandalised and even torched a bus near Amrit Campus have agreed to run the buses.

Chairman of the Federation of Bus Entrepreneurs, Sharad Upreti, said that the halt programme has been withdrawn from today evening after the talks with the Minister of Works and Transport who agreed to provide security and compensate for the bus which was set fire by the students, within three days.

The bus entrepreneurs had stopped their services after a minibus with registration No. Ba.1.Kha 3633 was set fire by pouring kerosene following a debate between students and the bus driver and the conductor over the concession in fare for the students.

According to Upreti, a five-member committee has been formed to investigate on the case.

The stoppage of the public transport had severely affected the public for two days. Commuters were forced to walk and the small number of tempos and three wheelers could not accommodate all the commuters. Some buses and minibuses who tried to hit the road were even blocked by other drivers and owners of buses and minibuses. At some places like in Balaju, the minibuses had even put their vehicles on the roads barricading the road.

According to Bhaktapur Police Station, altogether 16 buses, including two trolley buses were vandalized and their windshields and glasses were smashed. But no passenger were injured or hurt. Onlookers say they were not the protestors but others who had hit the buses and then ran away.

According to a mechanic of the trolley bus said two trolley buses were destroyed one at Sallaghari and the other at Gathaghar. He said those, who were trying to stop the buses from running, beat the driver and broke the glasses at Sallaghari. The same thing also happened at Gathaghar.

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