KATHMANDU, June 1: The Gandaki Province Government has once again invited the protesting transport entrepreneurs to come to the negotiation table.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport Management held a press conference and called for talks to discuss the demands of the transport entrepreneurs and find a solution.
The transport entrepreneurs had halted public transportation in protest against the legalization of ride-sharing. They were previously invited for talks on Wednesday, but they did not attend.
During the press conference, it was informed that a five-member negotiation team, led by the Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, has already been formed to hold discussions with the transport entrepreneurs.
Govt forms talks committee to hold dialogue with transport entr...
Engineer Kamal Kumar Adhikari, the provincial secretary and coordinator of the negotiation committee, stated that the provincial government is always ready for open discussions if any party is affected by the laws issued by the provincial government.
He emphasized that such issues should be resolved through dialogue and urged the transport entrepreneurs to suspend their ongoing strikes and come to the negotiation table.
Earlier, eight organizations, including the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs (FNNTE), Independent Transport Workers Association of Nepal (ITWAN), Nepal Transport Workers Union, All Nepal Transport Workers Union (ANTWU), Public Transport Central Federation and the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions, had jointly held a press conference and made public a 17-point demand.
The entrepreneurs have called for the immediate repeal of Chapter 2, Section 8(2), and Section 12(1) of the Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act, 1993, arguing that these provisions conflict with the federal structure. They have also demanded the cancellation of a new regulation introduced by Gandaki Province in 2025 BS (1968 AD), which allows the operation of private vehicles with red license plates.
Other demands include immediate implementation of the Supreme Court’s directive on renewing the registration and property rights of associations under the Association Registration Act, 1977, and the enforcement of past agreements and task force recommendations regarding amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act.
The committee also called for the creation of a mandatory social security fund for public transport workers and stricter enforcement of load capacity rules under the 2017 Carrying Capacity Regulation Directive for both domestic and foreign freight vehicles.
Additionally, the entrepreneurs are demanding amendments to the 2016 Motor Insurance Tariff Directive to establish an accident relief fund, and revision of what they call a discriminatory policy granting a 72-hour customs clearance facility to foreign freight and passenger vehicles entering Nepal.
