Transportation sector puts off token system

Kathmandu, May 31 :

Truck and tanker entrepreneurs have agreed to put off ‘token system’ — introduced on surface transportation and truck queuing system from May 21 — for the time being.

The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Federation of Truck-Tanker and Transport Entrepreneurs Nepal (FTTEN) signed

a seven-point agreement to this effect in the capital today .

Citing hike in operation costs due to rising petroleum prices, FTTEN had introduced the token system on truck freight, truck loading capacity and truck queuing from May 21 and fixed the freight charge of Rs 15,000 per 10 metric tonne on Birgunj-Kathmandu and Bhairahawa-Kathmandu routes.

The FTTEN’s move came under a heavy fire from the businessmen and industrialists, blaming it of syndicating that could cause inflation and discourage competition.

According to the accord signed today, FNCCI and FTTEN have agreed to form a taskforce to recommend on issues related to transportation, freight charge and other procedural complications.

The taskforce will have three members each from the FNCCI and the FTTEN and a transportation economist.

The taskforce has been given a month time to assess the current problems faced by the transportation and goods carriers and recommend the solutions for making the sector competitive, better managed and service-oriented.

Kush Kumar Joshi, second vice-president of FNCCI and Birendra Thapaliya, chairman of Transport and Transit Forum at FNCCI, and Arjun Ranabhat, vice-president of FTTEN, Shree Chandra Sharma, general secretary and Rajendra Shrestha, secretary of FTTEN, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.