Bajhang.
On Wednesday, a team led by Chief District Officer Narayan Pandey monitored the irregularities of the transport vehicles after receiving widespread complaints of arbitrary fare collection by the small transport vehicles operating in the district. It has been monitored the traffic vehicles operating on the Jaiprithbi Highway, the rural road leading to Khaptad Channa rural municipality and the Bagthala Bizgada road section of Bugal municipality.
Even though the fare rates determined by the District Administration Office and Transport Professional Committees were fixed, the transport traders were charging arbitrary fares.
Chief District Officer Pandey, along with Deputy Superintendent of Police Jageshwar Bhandari, Deputy Superintendent of Police Netra KC of the Armed Police Force, and a team of traffic police have monitored the vagrants and taken action against the jeeps and autos operating against the rules and suggested that they should be operated only after following the legal process.
Chief District Officer Narayan Pandey fined the jeeps charging arbitrary fares during the inspection, as the red plate vehicles were also carrying passengers and advised them not to carry passengers and advised the passengers not to sit in the red plate vehicles, the roofs of all the jeeps were ordered to be removed. He said that he suggested to pay and if the businessman refused, he also suggested to inform the police. He said that only Rs 20,000 fine was collected from 15 jeeps and autos that were operating against the rules. Prajia Pandey, during the inspection, suggested that most of the auto drivers plying on Jayaprithbi highway in the district are not licensed and carry more passengers than their capacity.
In the meantime, all the transport businesses have been forced to stick to the vehicle, including the fare rate determined by the monitoring team as per the decision of the district administration office and the meeting of the transport business committee. The team also requested the passengers traveling in jeeps and autos not to pay more than the fixed fare.
Transport businessmen said that even though the government has reduced the price of diesel, the local traders have sold it at the old price, so they have to charge higher fares. Dhanraj Bhattarai, the driver of a jeep operating in Khaptad Channa, also said that the fare has become high due to the fact that the diesel businessmen have sold diesel at an arbitrary price. He also asked the monitoring team to reduce its price and confirm it.
On the other hand, Chief District Officer Pandey of the monitoring team has suggested to reduce the price with the diesel sellers in Tamil Nadu and informed that the price will be determined by holding a meeting with all the diesel sellers in the district in the coming days. A meeting of the district administration, transport businessmen and Sarokarbala decided to pay Rs 9 per kilometer on paved roads and Rs 20 per kilometer on unpaved and rural roads.
Transport businessmen have been collecting double and triple fares in defiance of the decision. Deputy Superintendent of Police Jageshwar Bhandari advised everyone not to pay more than the fixed fare and if any businessman charged more fare, call 100 and ask them to note down the vehicle number. Ordinary citizens are happy with this campaign conducted by the district administration office.