Biratnagar, February 20:

Eight days of strikes in the Tarai region have already caused a loss of Rs 400 million to the transport entrepreneurs here.

The Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs’ Association (NTEA) general secretary Gopal Karki said that the transportation sector in the eastern region is bearing a daily loss of Rs 50 million due to the ongoing strikes.

“This has severely crippled life here in the whole region,” he said.

“Failure to solve the ongoing crisis can lead to bankruptcy of the transport sector,” he said.

Altogether, 1,700 passenger buses are operating in the eastern development region with a total investment amounting to Rs 1.8 billion, the NTEA said.

President of the Durga Bhawani Transport Entrepreneurs Association Binod Regmi said that 18,000 transport sector workers are now out of job due to the strike.

President of the Biratnagar Truck Entrepreneurs Dipak Poudel said that 900 cargo trucks providing service in the eastern region are incurring heavy loss.

With vehicles staying off the roads, the number of air passengers has surged creating much pressure on flights from Biratnagar to Kathmandu, Suketar, Tumlingtar, Lamidanda, Rumjatar, Bhojpur and Khandbari.

Station manager of the Yeti Airlines in Biratnagar Prem Kunwar said the number of people opting to travel by air has surged by 100 per cent.