Hetauda, October 16

It has been learnt that Tata Sumo operators charged passengers twice the normal fare along Kathmandu-Hetauda road section during Dashain.

Vehicle operators are known to have fleeced the passengers who were returning to Kathmandu from Makawanpur after celebrating Dashain. Numerous passengers have complained that Tata Sumo operators overcharged them during the festive season.

While there are as many as half a dozen Sumo operators in Hetauda, the operators have been known to hike fares, citing a shortage of vehicles during the festival. The passengers said the operators charged anything from Rs 600 to 800 per passenger, claiming that tickets were overbooked .

Binita Neupane, a passenger, said she paid Rs 600 to travel from Kathmandu to Hetauda for Dashain. “But I was compelled to pay Rs 800 while returning to Kathmandu after Dashain,” she said.

Former Chairman Hiralal Shrestha of Narayani Transport Entrepreneurs Association said they were charging passengers a higher fare as vehicles were empty while returning to the capital after Dashain. He also requested passengers to file complaints against vehicles that overcharged them .

Badri Chaulagain, chairman of the association, however, claimed that no vehicle had overcharged passengers. “We will take action if any vehicle operator is found to have overcharged passengers,” he informed.

Meanwhile, Acting Chief District Officer Hari Prasad Panta stated that till date no such complaints had been filed to his knowledge.