KATHMANDU, April 4: Travelers using public transport services are likely to face another fare increase in three weeks, as the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has proposed that the government hike fares citing recent rises in petroleum prices.
According to the DoTM, it has recommended that the government increase transport fares by up to 19 percent based on the “scientific fare adjustment system.” Under government rules, the authority can revise fares when fuel prices change by more than 5 percent. “The department is waiting for the government’s green signal to revise the transport fare,” said an official of the DoTM.
Public transport fare goes up as NOC hikes diesel price
On Friday, the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) raised the price of petrol and diesel/kerosene by Rs 15 per litre each—the third hike in a month. The state-owned oil monopoly has been under pressure to revise fuel prices due to soaring crude oil costs in the international market amid the Middle East crisis.
Transport entrepreneurs have been urging the government to implement the fare revision immediately. Diesel prices have increased by Rs 40 per litre over the past month.
The scientific fare adjustment system proposes revising fares based on petroleum product prices, along with other factors such as tires, lubricants, and spare parts.
