KATHMANDU, June 23: The government has eased restrictions on the registration of public vehicles, allowing a section of previously affected importers and transport operators to complete the process after months of uncertainty.
The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) on Monday issued a fresh directive permitting the registration of public vehicles imported under letters of credit (LCs) opened before the government-imposed restrictions. The decision has been communicated to all seven provincial governments and local authorities responsible for vehicle registration.
According to DoTM Director Maniram Bhusal, vehicles whose import process had already begun before the suspension came into effect will now be eligible for registration. Importers who had opened LCs by the third week of May and submitted the necessary documents to initiate registration procedures can proceed with the process.
The move partially reverses a controversial decision taken two months ago when transport authorities ordered provincial and local offices to stop registering public vehicles indefinitely. At the time, officials argued that the country lacked a scientific approach to managing public transport and pointed to worsening traffic congestion, growing air pollution and an increasing number of vehicles on the roads.
The suspension drew criticism from transport entrepreneurs and vehicle importers, many of whom had already invested heavily in bringing vehicles into the country. Industry representatives warned that the abrupt halt left hundreds of vehicles stranded in the system and created financial risks for businesses that had fulfilled import requirements before the ban was announced.
By allowing pending imports to be registered, the government appears to be responding to those concerns while stopping short of fully lifting the restriction. Officials have not indicated when normal registration services for all public vehicles will resume.
The latest decision is expected to provide relief to transport operators preparing to expand services and to importers facing mounting costs from vehicles waiting for registration. However, questions remain over the government’s long-term policy on public transport management and whether broader reforms will accompany future registration decisions.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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