Bhaktapur, August 6:

Disagreement between the bus entrepreneurs’ organisation and the Bhaktapur Local Development Officer over a provision of local tax on the passenger buses has resulted in halting of bus services to Changu Narayan from the past six days. This has badly affected the villagers at Changu Narayan, who these days walk for over half-an-hour to reach the nearest

bus stop. Visitors at the Changu Narayan, the oldest temple of Nepal, has also declined drastically. “Number of visitors to the temple has reduced and those who want to go to Bhaktapur from here are also facing hard times,” said Sushma Bhadel, a local at Changu Narayan. Five minibuses used to ferry passengers from Bhaktapur to Changu Narayan and back.

The service came to a halt after the bus entrepreneurs said they cannot pay the tax of Rs 17 per trip imposed by the Local Development office for creating fund to maintain the road.

President of the Bhaktapur Minibus Service Committee Ram Kajee Bhuju said entrepreneurs cannot pay the tax for each trip the passenger buses make. “We had agreed to pay the tax once a day but the LDO denied, therefore, we were compelled to suspend the service,” he clarified. He also said the BMSS has also suspended its service at Jhoukhel for the same reason. Two minibuses used to make six trips a day from Jhaukhel to Dhudhpati. Bhuju also said service on the Tathali-Chyamasingh route is continuing after an agreement was reached that the entrepreneurs pay a total of Rs 9,600 per minibus per year.