Kathmandu, March 7:

With an aim to controlling the increasing fares of public transportation, Sajha Yatayat has decided to slash its transportation fares by five per cent. The decrease in fares will be made from the new fares that have been increased by 25 and 28 per cent for long and medium routes, respectively.

The fares of Sajha buses plying in the long and medium routes will now be increased by 20 and 23 per cent respectively on the earlier fare rates.

According to the officials at Sajha Yatayat, the new fares will come into effect from March 9, 2006. Managing director of the Sajha Yatayat, Mukunda Raj Satyal, said the government-fixed transportation fare hike percentage was the ceiling price. “Our aim is to control the fare rates in the competitive market,” he said, adding, Sajha Yatayat is used to controlling the market price.

The government has recently decreased the price of petroleum products by a small margin.Traffic chief of Sajha Yatayat, Shambhu KC, said other private transportation companies were arbitrarily collecting transportation fares. Earlier the Araniko Transportation Service Committee (ATSC) had also cut its bus fares by some eight per cent following the request from the people of Dolakha district.Praising the ATSC efforts, Sajha Yatayat officiating director general of Department of Transport Management (DoTM), Deepak Subedi, said the government price hike rate was adjustable.