Kathmandu, March 13:

Following an agreement with the owners of electric vehicles (EVs), drivers ended their four-day strike and drove the EVs along the Anamnagar route today.

After a hard bargain, the drivers today agreed to pay the entrepreneurs Re 190 — and not Re 220 as demanded by the owners — for each loop and resumed the services along the route. The services were halted for four days after the drivers refused to pay the owners a sum of Re 220 per loop. The entrepreneurs had been receiving Re 130 per loop.

The agreement was reached in the presence of representatives of the Nepal Independent Workers’ Organisation.

Based on week-long surveys, the entrepreneurs had demanded the hike. Differences existing between the entrepreneurs and drivers plying the EVs along the Lagankhel-New Baneswor, Kalimati-Sanepa-Lagankhel and Bhanimandal-Sanepa-Ratnapark routes have been resolved for now as both the parties agreed to fix the returns temporarily. A survey will be conducted in a month and the matter will be resolved based on its finding.

President of the Electric Vehicles’ Association of Nepal (EVAN) Umesh Raj Shrestha said talks are going on between the drivers and the entrepreneurs on fixing the return on the Chabahil-Ratnapark and Sinamangal-Ratnapark routes. Till now, the entrepreneurs have been receiving the same amount of returns as before, the EVAN president further said.