Kathmandu, August 4

The government has come up with a fresh plan to operate new taxis in the Kathmandu Valley by also involving new entrepreneurs and those who want to be self-employed.

A quota of 700 cabs has been fixed for general people wishing to be taxi entrepreneurs, according to the Department of Transport Management (DoTM).

Similarly, 500 units of new cabs will be registered in the name of individuals who have ‘B’ category driving licence of four-wheelers and wish to be self-employed by operating cabs. DoTM has taken this decision after its earlier invitation to submit applications for registration and operation of 1,850 new taxis garnered low response from taxi entrepreneurs.

To address the increased demand for cabs in the Valley, the government in the first phase has a plan to register 1,850 new normal taxis, after a gap of 15 years.

“As there was a lukewarm response from old and existing cab operators, we have reduced the quota for them to only 650 units,” informed a senior DoTM official requesting anonymity.

Earlier, the government had planned to register 1,850 taxis giving priority to the owners of old taxis and those whose cabs were sent to the scrap yard for crossing the operation limit of 20 years.

Today, Bagmati Zone Transport Management Office also issued a public notice, inviting interested individuals to submit their applications to operate new cabs within 15 days. The DoTM official said that if the number of applicants exceeds the given quota, a lucky draw will be held among the qualifying candidates.

Amid increased demand for new cabs and growth in population of the Valley, a Cabinet meeting last year had decided to register new taxis.

Based on the government’s decision, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport last month had decided to add 2,850 taxis and DoTM had started making preparations to register 1,850 cabs in the first phase.

In the next phase, DoTM plans to allow operation of 500 taxis by involving earthquake-affected families and 500 deluxe cabs through companies rather than individual owners. At present, there are around 5,650 taxis in operation in the Valley.

Meanwhile, taxi entrepreneurs and drivers today picketed the DoTM and organised a protest programme, demanding that the government roll back its decision to add new cabs and cancel the existing provision which requires scrapping of old taxis that are more than 20 years old.

Last Wednesday too, the cabbies had organised a protest programme affecting traffic movement within the Ring Road.