Vehicles Older Than 20 Years Banned From Today

The government has finally begun to implement the ban on vehicles older than 20 years starting today, reports The Kathmandu Post.

Why it matters:

This ban is expected to reduce traffic congestion, pollution, road accidents and fuel consumption.

The Details:

• This project was decided back in 2015. By now, the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has made all preparations about its implementation.
• DoTM has already instructed all transport management offices across the country to implement the decision in coordination with traffic police.
• It is currently collecting information on such vehicles still in use for transportation which could take about a week. But the ban has come to effect from today, nevertheless.
• Such older vehicles will be impounded and scrapped and the owners themselves will have to bear the scrapping chargers. Owners will also have to give dues to the government.
• Up to now, the department has booked fewer than a dozen of such vehicles.
• DoTM has estimated the number of public vehicles older than 20 years to be around 5,500 in the valley and about 10,000 vehicles in the country in total.
• The rule, however, exempts tempos and electric vehicles.

What they are saying:

• Bhushan Tuladhar, an environmentalist, and technical advisor for South Asia, UN Habitat, said that while this move will reduce pollution, it will not be very contributing if we look at the extent of pollution currently.
• Tulasi Sitaula, a transportation expert who also served as the secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructures and Transport positively said that the move would help to reduce fuel consumption.
• Transport owners have denounced the department’s decision saying it is an unscientific decision and they would incur losses.
• Saroj Sitaula, the general secretary of the Federation of Nepali National Transport Entrepreneurs, said many people who own second-hand vehicles would incur huge losses if the department imposes the ban without proper planning.

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