Bus syndicate behind frequent accidents

BANEPA, Jan 23: The latest accident in Kavre district on Friday, which left four passengers dead and at least 50 injured, has once again exposed the ugly face of syndicates in the country´s transportation system.

In the villages of Kavre, as in many parts of the country, passengers have been forced to risk their lives because of the syndicate system. In this system, transport entrepreneurs allow only a few buses to operate, squeezing many passengers into old vehicles, apparently to make more profit. Despite the government´s ban on syndicates, the system is thriving in Kavre.

In that district, various associations of transport entrepreneurs such as Kavre Minibus, Kavre Bus and Helambu Tranport, have taken over almost all the road routes. No other transport entrepreneurs are allowed to operate on those routes, irrespective of how cheap their services are. "They (transport entrepreneurs) say they do not run a syndicate," said Shree Krishna Sharma, a local. "But, we are suffering from their monopoly over transport."

Buses operated by Kavre Bus Entrepreneurs Association, which has obtained route permits for the Kathmandu-Banepa-Bhakunde route, force all passengers to get off and catch another bus at Bhakunde. Similarly, on just a three-kilometer road from Banepa to Nala-Shera, transport entrepreneurs have made it necessary for all passengers to change vehicles half-way. Locals say this irrational monopoly has increased the plight of those who deliver milk and vegetables to nearby markets.

Transport entrepreneurs have not operated a direct bus service from Banepa to Kathmandu. Hundreds of passengers from Banepa have to catch already over-crowded buses coming from either Dhulikhel or Panauti to reach Kathmandu. "Four years back, we proposed a direct bus service from Banepa to Kathmandu," said Rabin Shakya, then president of the Town Development Committee, adding, "However, local transport entrepreneurs, who know how to squeeze more profit through a syndicate system, rejected our proposal outright."

Syndicates are not the single reason behind frequent accidents. Loopholes in government policy also compound the risk. The bus (Ba 2 Kha 1142) which was wrecked in Friday´s accident previously operated the Kathmandu-Jire route for years. Later, it was operated on the Banepa-Nala route with a new registration number. Many such buses are believed to be operating in Kavre, and putting passenger lives at risk.

"Old buses have been painted to make them look new. They have new registration numbers; and the drivers show us their blue-books," said Traffic Police Inspector Govinda Kumar Karki. "When we see all that, we cannot ask for anything more. Otherwise, the drivers will immediately complain about us to our senior officials."

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