Public transport fares hiked again by 5 percent

Kathmandu-The government has once again increased public transport fares by 5 percent following a continued rise in fuel prices. The Department of Transport Management said the decision was approved at the ministerial level yesterday.

According to Director Mani Bhusal, the new fare adjustment applies to inter-provincial public transport services and affects both passenger and freight vehicles.

The revision comes in response to a sharp increase in diesel prices. At the time of the previous adjustment, diesel was priced at Rs 180.83 per liter, which has now risen by Rs 55 to Rs 235.83 per liter, marking a 30.41 percent increase in fuel costs.

The Department stated that the updated fare structure has been implemented based on this fuel price hike with the approval of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.

Earlier, on Chaitra 25, fares had already been revised, with passenger transport increased by 16.71 percent, freight transport in hilly regions by 21.68 percent, and in the Terai by 15.75 percent.

Transport operators had been repeatedly demanding a new revision due to the continuous rise in fuel prices. The Department had earlier recommended different levels of adjustment, but Minister Sunil Lamsal approved a uniform 5 percent increase, which has now been implemented.