Kathmandu, September 15

The National Consumer Forum (NCF), a consumer rights forum, today said that even though government has already announced its decision to cut the public transport fare, transporters continue to charge passengers arbitrarily.

Submitting a memorandum to the chief secretary, NCF has demanded that the government ensure the reduced fare is being implemented strictly.

The forum has demanded that action be taken against the government officials not working seriously to implement their own decision to cut the fare and against transporters collecting higher charge. The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) had slashed public transport fare by 2.22 per cent on Friday taking into account decline in fuel price.

“The new fare has not been implemented anywhere, due to which customers are being cheated,” reads the memorandum. NCF also said government had failed to cut the fare in line with decline in fuel price and alleged it is favouring transporters. Based on reduction of diesel price by over Rs 24 per litre in last one year, the charge for shortest ride was supposed to be Rs 11 instead of government fixed Rs 13, according to NCF.

However, DoTM said the fare is correct and adjusted through scientific fare calculation mechanism taking into account the fuel price. In the fare calculation mechanism, fuel component has contribution of 35 per cent only.

The department officials also said that they have been conducting daily monitoring of public vehicles and the new fare would come into full implementation within one or two weeks.