Transport entrepreneurs on Monday morning staged a symbolic strike in Kathmandu Valley putting forth their demand for an increase in transportation fares for public vehicles on local routes.

The strike resulted in traffic gridlock in major arteries of the traffic routes in the valley with protests organised in Sukedhara, Chabahil, Gaushala, Koteshwor, Satdobato, Kalanki among other areas of the Ring Road, according to Sanjib Sharma Das, Superintendent of Police and also the spokesperson of the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division.

On July 13, the Department of Transport Management issued a notice and increased transportation fares of long and medium route vehicles by 28 percent of the current fares.

The authority to determine fares for cross-district routes within a province lies with the provincial government. However, such changes have not been proposed by the provincial authority yet, said Nabin Kumar Singh, spokesperson of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructures Development in Bagmati Province.

The Ministry has requested the public to not oblige to the fare hike demanded by public vehicles on local routes.

“The government has not reached a decision on the demand of the transportation entrepreneurs yet,” said Singh. “We haven’t authorised a hike in transport fares on local routes. We request passengers to not pay fares as demanded by the public vehicle operators.”

In the last few days, passengers have reported of incidents where public vehicle operators have demanded more than the current stipulated fare on local routes, said Singh. Meanwhile, the entrepreneurs insist that the increment in fare, done at their own discretion, is fair.

Some public vehicles have cited a new transportation fare list from the government to demand more fares from passengers.

On Monday morning, traffic police personnel took 82 public vehicles under control for charging more fares than currently specified in Kathmandu Valley.

Here are some photos from the scene by Post photographer Kabin Adhikari.