Kathmandu: In a recent development, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Transport has announced a reduction in public transport fares in Bagmati Province, including the Kathmandu Valley. This decision comes nine days after the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) lowered the price of diesel.

The Ministry specifically decreased the fare for public transport vehicles operating on short routes within the province. The revised transport fare has been officially published in the Nepal Gazette.

According to the Ministry's latest fare structure, the fare in the Kathmandu Valley has been reduced by 5.9 percent, while public vehicles and goods-carrier vehicles operating on short routes outside the Valley will see a decrease of 4.18 percent and 5.69 percent, respectively. Asman Tamang, the Secretary at the Ministry, confirmed these changes.

Tamang stated, "The reduced public transport fare will be implemented starting today, as it has already been published in the Gazette." Previously, transport entrepreneurs had independently set the fare, leading to disparities as the fare for vehicles on short routes did not increase despite rising diesel prices. Only the fare for vehicles on long routes had been increased during that time.

The Nepal Oil Corporation had recently reduced diesel prices, which prompted the government to adjust the public transport fare for long routes. It's worth noting that the transport fare for long routes, or inter-provincial routes, is determined by the federal government, while the fare for short routes, or inter-municipality routes, is set by the provincial government.

The NOC had decreased diesel and kerosene prices by Rs 10 per liter and petrol by Rs 3 per liter on April 3. Last week, they further reduced diesel and petrol prices by Rs 10 per liter. Consequently, diesel now costs Rs 155 per liter.

It's important to mention that the transport fare for public vehicles on short routes within the province had been increased last year. As per the previous fare structure, passengers were charged Rs 20 upon boarding public buses in the Kathmandu Valley.