Kathmandu, March 4:

The government today announced a new ‘scientific’ transport fare based on distance. The fares will be effective from tomorrow.

The new fare rate was announced during a press conference at the office of the Minister for Labour and Transport Management Lekhraj Bhatta.

As per the new rates, people will be charged Rs 1.18 per km on long routes (more than 250 km) and Rs 1.25 on medium routes (25-250km) in the Tarai and Rs 1.60 would for both long and medium routes in mountainous region. Places like Pokhara and Narayangarh have been identified as accessible destinations with better road network and thus the fare in these places will be Rs 1.33 per km.

As for the Valley, Rs 9 would be charged as minimum fare on routes up to 3 km, Rs 10 on 4 km, Rs 11 on 7 km, Rs 12 on 9 km, Rs 13 on 12 km, Rs 14 on 15 km and Rs 16 on 20 km and Rs 18 on 25 km routes. According to Dolnath Khanal, general secretary of the Federation of Nepali National Transport Entrepreneurs (FNNTE), the new fare rate was determined through the newly developed scientific method in which the contribution of fuel in vehicle operation is considered to be 35 per cent only. The fares would also be reviewed on yearly basis to adjust other factors.

Technical director of Department of Transport Management (DoTM) Prem Singh said the department would soon certify vehicles with better facilities as ‘deluxe’ one and they could charge 20 per cent more fare than the usual rate.

He also said all vehicles must provide 45 per cent discount to students.