Public transport workers have called off their strike following an agreement with the government on Tuesday.

According to Vijay Gautam, an aide to Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Narayan Kaji Shrestha, an agreement has been reached to take action against those involved in attacking transport workers, investigate the alleged irregularities in Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt Ltd, the contractor company hired to operate the New Bus Park and discuss the remaining issues in a task force.

A large number of commuters faced hassles as the majority of public vehicles stayed off the road in Kathmandu Valley this morning. Passengers were forced to travel in cramped, congested vehicles as only a few microbuses operated on the Valley roads.

Issuing a joint press release on Monday evening, the Nepal Transport Independent Workers’ Organisation, Nepal Transport Workers’ Association and All Nepal Transport Workers’ Association had announced various protest programmes.

Through the statement, transport workers had also accused the traffic police of charging fines unlawfully, suspending drivers’ licences, and charging unnecessarily in the name of pollution tests of vehicles.

Transport operators on Monday staged a demonstration against the traffic police’s ‘stringent’ rules, and Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s announcement to not let long and medium route public vehicles park in open spaces other than inside the New Bus Park at Gongabu.

The demonstration took a violent turn when the agitating protesters set fire to two traffic vans, venting their ire against the police, who they say overcharged fines. They also protested an alleged assault by people associated with Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt Ltd, the contractor company hired to operate the New Bus Park. They also vandalised the supermarket’s building.