Kathmandu, March 15

The Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology has expedited installation of computer billing machines in taxis operating in Kathmandu Valley.

The bureau had started this task on January 1 amidst complaints of taxi drivers cheating commuters.

So far, 2,000 cabs are equipped with printer machines, according to Bishwababu Pudasaini, director general at the bureau. He said such machines were fixed in more than 150 taxis just last week.

Installation of a billing machine costs between Rs 5,000 and Rs 8,000.

Meanwhile, an awareness programme has been launched by the bureau asking public to demand bill from cabbies and the taxi drivers to instal the machines.

Taxi drivers would be barred from plying the roads if they did not instal billing machines on time, Pudasaini said. There are around 10,000 taxis plying in Kathmandu Valley.

The bureau, according to Pudasaini, aims to complete the task of installing billing machines in all taxis by August 2017.