KATHMANDU: The government has reopened registration of passenger-carrying public vehicles, with the Department of Transport Management allowing the process to resume from September 17, under certain conditions.
The department issued a circular late Tuesday night to the transport ministries of all seven provinces and to all local levels, informing them that registration of public passenger vehicles had been reopened.
Department Director Maniram Bhusal said registration has been opened for public passenger vehicles only outside the Kathmandu Valley. Both electric and ICE (diesel) vehicles will be allowed to register outside the Valley, though priority will be given to electric vehicles, he said.
Inside the Valley, however, registration of new public vehicles across the board has not been opened. Bhusal said only school buses and vehicles registered as replacements for existing ones will be allowed for now, as the department continues to work out route and vehicle management within the Valley. The freeze on public vehicle registration inside Kathmandu therefore remains in place.
“Registration of public vehicles, which had been halted since May 21, has been reopened. Outside the Kathmandu Valley, both electric and diesel vehicles can be registered. Inside the Valley, only school buses and replacement vehicles have been allowed,” Bhusal told MeroAuto.
The department had halted registration of public vehicles nationwide on May 21, citing the need for scientific management of public transport in the public interest. It had said the lack of scientific management of public transport was causing excessive air pollution, vehicle congestion and traffic jams, making commuting difficult.
The department had, however, already been easing the restriction in two earlier phases. In the first phase, it allowed registration of public vehicles for which the LC process had already been completed by June 22, and which had already entered Nepal. Separately, on August 3, the department had opened registration for goods-carrying vehicles.
The reopening of public vehicle registration has come as a relief to auto dealers and transport entrepreneurs.
