Stakeholders have expressed dissatisfaction after the registration of new public vehicles was stopped in all provinces except Bagmati as per the circular of the federal government. The registration was stopped after the Department of Transport Management issued a circular on 7th Jestha to the Provincial Transport Ministry and the Transport Management Office not to register new public vehicles. 

The Transport Management Office under the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Transport of Bagmati is regularly registering new public vehicles, ignoring the decision of the federation. However, other provincial ministries have stopped registration as per the circular of the federal government. 

The circular issued by the department states that the registration of new public vehicles has been suspended for the time being to control air pollution, fuel price hike and traffic jams. Even after 21 days of the decision to stop registration, the department has not opened the registration. Maniram Bhusal, Director of the Department of Transport Management, said that no further decision has been taken on this. ‘No decision has been taken yet to open it, this matter will be decided by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development,’ he said. 

A letter has been received from the department not to register new public vehicles and the ministry is studying the matter, said Khagendra Poudel, an officer at the Labor, Employment and Transport Management Division of the Bagmati Province Ministry of Labor, Employment and Transport. “Many complaints were received from businessmen and service recipients regarding vehicles that were imported and had VAT bills issued while the registration was being stopped,” he said. “Transportation businessmen registered their complaints with the ministry along with the letter. The transport management offices have been instructed to maintain the registration until a joint decision is made in coordination with the provincial and federal governments.” 

Poudel said that a letter was sent to the transport offices asking them not to stop registration until a decision is made and a directive is issued after an understanding is reached at the leadership level of the provincial and federal governments. “The registration of new public vehicles is currently being done regularly so that if further decisions are made later, it will be done accordingly,” he said. 

Saroj Sitaula, President of the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs, says that the government is wrong to stop the registration of public vehicles. "There is a problem with the new public vehicles that have passed customs inspection not being registered. There has been no discussion with the Ministry of Infrastructure Development or the Department of Transport Management on this. There is confusion about what to do with the vehicles that have been brought to Nepal," he said. "The government has not yet given any information as to why it has been stopped." 

Sitaula says that registration should be opened not only in one province but in all provinces. "Businessmen have purchased vehicles with loans from banks, and the vehicles are sitting idle," he said. "There is a problem when they are not registered and used on time. The bank installment has to be paid. We will go to the department in a day or two and discuss this issue." The NADA Automobiles Association of Nepal has stated that it is not clear why the government has stopped registration. NADA President Surendra Kumar Upreti said that it is understood that it will take some time to lift the public registration ban. "The department has said that it is formulating standards for public transport operations. There is a discussion to sit down after the standards are formulated," he said. He clarified that the department has received information about the fact that standards are being formulated by adopting scientific methods to solve the problems seen in the operation of public transport. 

‘Due to the failure to scientifically manage public transport, excessive air pollution, vehicle pressure and traffic jams have increased, causing difficulties in movement,’ the department said in a circular to the concerned provincial ministries. ‘It seems that public vehicles need to be properly managed to address the inconvenience and difficulties faced by public vehicles and transport due to the rising price of fuel.’

The department has stated that it is necessary to immediately suspend the registration to be done under Section 14 of the Transport Management Act 2049 until further notice is issued with the aim of scientifically managing public vehicles. As per the act, the department has issued a circular to suspend the registration of public vehicles also done by offices/municipalities under the ministry. The circular issued by the department has also asked to suspend the registration of electric public vehicles. While the reason for suspending the registration is the increase in fuel prices and air pollution. However, electric vehicles do not require fuel, and they do not pollute the environment either.