'No sanitizer, no distance, only high amount of fare'

KATHMANDU: The risk of corona virus infection remains high and it has become dangerous to travel on open public transport. It is said that the risk has increased due to lack of sanitizer and distance in such devices. Only the fare on vehicles is higher. 

According to the criteria prepared by the Department of Transport Management, there is a provision of one person sitting in a row and sanitizer in the vehicle, but it has not been implemented in practice. Passenger Prem Bahadur Thapa said that the transport businessmen felt that 'whatever is done' can be done due to lack of monitoring. 

"Public transport has to follow the distance to keep only 50 per cent of the capacity and sanitizer system has not been implemented. The previous rule of 50 per cent increase in fares has been increased as much as possible," he said.

The department has fixed the fare for four km at Rs. With only 50 percent of the capacity, the minimum fare is increased by 50 percent to Rs 21. But now the operators are charging a minimum fare of Rs 25 for such transport. Transport businessmen are considering raising the minimum fare to Rs 25. Physical distance and safety measures have not been adopted during the Corona epidemic.

Director General of the Department Gogan Bahadur Hamal said that the responsibility of monitoring the situation has been given to the traffic police. Vehicles going to the timber area from the main urban areas of the valley are more crowded. Passengers are still forced to travel in the timber sector. But they are paying more rent.

Municipalities in the timber sector have also not monitored it. Although there is a monitoring committee headed by the deputy chief or vice-chairman in the municipality, there is no law in this regard. Ram Prasad Dangal, a local of Shankharapur, complained that the municipality did not even talk about the incident.

He has complained that the drivers and operators of the metropolitan traffic police have not been able to take any action after registering the vehicle no. He regrets that no action has been taken against Ba 3 Kha 5921, Ba 3 Kha 6172, Ba 5 Kha 2858 and Ba 5 Kha 177 for violating the rules.

Spokesperson of the Division Ramesh Prasad Yadav said that a fine of Rs. 500 to Rs. 10,000 has been imposed on the vehicles violating the standards till August. Thus, daily public and private vehicles up to Rs.

"The traffic police has the right to cheat up to Rs 1,500. As per the Transport Management Act and regulations, we have started handing over the culprits to the department for cheating up to Rs 10,000," he said.

The department has stated that the news that many illegal vehicles were caught on Sunday is coming from various checkpoints. The department claims that the number of checkpoints has been increased recently.