Public transport halted nationwide in Nepal amid workers' protest

Public transport operation across Nepal was halted on Thursday as executives and workers from transport companies staged a protest against a new law that raised fines and compensations for serious traffic rule violations.

As a result of the protest, public transport services in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city, and other major cities of the Himalayan nation -- including Biratnagar, Birgunj, Pokhara and Nepalgunj -- have come to a standstill, according to local media reports.

Police said that only private vehicles, emergency vehicles and those operated by security forces are still on the roads. Traffic police announced through social media that private vehicles in many parts of the Kathmandu valley have been diverted to avoid protesters.

Protesters took to the streets in the early morning and stopped private vehicles forcefully. "We have arrested 118 such protesters in the Kathmandu Valley since the early morning," said Deputy Inspector General of Police Madhav Joshi. But company executives said the number of those arrested has crossed 500.

The Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs and eight other transport workers' unions participated in the protest.

As per the amended act, which entered into force two weeks ago, the maximum fine for serious traffic rule violations has been raised to 14 U.S. dollars from 9 U.S. dollars previously, while the minimum fine has been increased to 46 U.S. cents from 23 U.S. cents.

In the case of accidental death, compensation to be paid to families of the deceased has been increased to 462 U.S. dollars from the previous 92 U.S. dollars. In the case of injury, immediate treatment expenses to be paid to the victim has been increased to 231 U.S. dollars from 18 U.S. dollars.

Transport companies said the law was introduced without prior consultation with them.

"Without appropriate infrastructure such as proper parking areas, accidents cannot the reduced just by hiking the fine," said Saroj Sitaula, general secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs. "We are going to launch sterner protest if the legal provision of fine hike is not reversed."

Meanwhile, consumer rights activists said the transport companies are seeking to keep the impunity they have enjoyed. "The newly hiked fine is still among the lowest in South Asia," said Jyoti Baniya, a consumer right activist. "The protest is meant to continue their 'mafia' system." Endit