The decision was made due to the increase in air pollution and road accidents.
Khema Basnet
Lalitpur, Feb 27: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has decided to extend the ban all 20-year-old public vehicles throughout the country from Chaitra this year with an aim to reduce vehicular emission and improve the traffic management.
It has decided to seize the vehicles if found runningfrom that month.
According to the department, the decision to remove 20-year-old vehicles from across the country was made due to the increase in air pollution and road accidents.
Tulasi Ram Aryal,Director of DoTM, said, “The reason behind increasing air pollution and road accidents is old vehicles. So, we have decided to remove them from all parts of the country.” The ban had centered only in the capital before.
According to Director Aryal, the old vehicles numbered between 5,000 and 5,500 throughout the country.
He said that the department has requested to submit ‘Engine Number’ and ‘Chassis number’ of 20-year-old vehicles and asked the vehicle owners to respond immediately.
“We have informed the vehicle owners about the decision,” Aryal said, “But, if these old vehicles play on the road again, we will seize them and auction them according to the rules.”
The 20-year-old vehicles have already been removed from the Kathmandu Valley last year. “Last year, in Falgun, we removed 20 years old vehicles from the Valley. Now, the remaining old vehicles will be removed from across the country.”According to him, 10 old vehicles were seized in the Valley after the ban.
The DoTMdecided to remove old vehicles from across the country from Chaitra, after amending the Vehicles and Transport Management Rules, 2054.
After amending the rules, the department published it in Nepal Gazette, allowing prohibition of the 20-year-old vehicles from the country within the end of Falgun 2074.
The department has said that only 20-year-old public vehicles using petroleum products will be banned across the country and electric vehicles will be allowed to ply on the road.
