By Nayak Paudel
Kathmandu, Mar. 25: The festering dispute between taxi drivers and motorcyclists associated with ridesharing companies has finally drawn the attention of concerned authorities. The dispute at New Buspark area on Monday evening between the two parties was the final straw which galvanized the authorities to roll out measure to regulate ridesharing services.
According to the taxi drivers with whom The Rising Nepal spoke, the clash with the motorcyclists was the result of irregularities they have been resorting to for long.
“The riders come at taxi stands, park their vehicles and wait for prospective passengers. They then try to lure the taxi passengers away by offering a discount on the fare. And they have done this so many times,” said Rabindra Tamang, a taxi driver in the Valley.
A group of taxi drivers at a stand in Sahayoginagar area of Tinkune also echoed Tamang’s view, saying the issue of riders trying to lure away passengers with cheaper fares is responsible for the New Buspark incident.
Ridesharing services allow passengers to book a ride via internet. Upon accepting the request from the would-be passengers, the riders go to pick them up before dropping them to their destination.
The fare is fixed in advance. The companies take a portion of that fare as commission from each ride for providing a platform. There is no denying that the ridesharing service is not only helping thousands of individuals to earn their livelihood, but it is also rendering the public transportation more convenient.
However, some irregularities have plagued the entire ridesharing venture.
“In addition to the problem of enticing away the passengers, many unauthorized riders are making things worse,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) Shyam Krishna Adhikari, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division.
Confirming SP Adhikari, the companies acknowledge the problem of the fake riders.
“We, wearing our jacket, had made an inspection a week ago when we took vehicle registration numbers of some of the riders operating in Kathmandu. What we found was that some were not even registered with us, and one was a rider whom we suspended a few months ago,” said Asheem Man Singh Basnyat, regional director for Bangladesh-based Pathao, a ridesharing company operating in Nepal. It is Pathao riders who are mostly accused of being fake and luring away taxi drivers’ passengers.
Basnyat informed that the company had been suspending its riders who had asked passengers to cancel the rides in an attempt to evade the commission.
On Tuesday, Pathao issued a notice asking its riders to not wear the protective gears which helps in identifying the riders and suspended its services as well.
“We will be back in operation soon. At the moment, we are

fixing some technical issues to ensure more genuine rides. Asking not to wear the protective gears is to prevent our riders from being targeted. We will do all we can and coordinate with authorities to wipe out the irregularities,” said Basnyat, requesting both passengers and riders to avail of the service by following the process properly.
Meanwhile, the traffic police have strictly warned of taking legal actions if the riders or companies are found flouting the rules.
“A registered rider needs to take the passenger complying with the stipulated procedures. If anyone of them tries something malicious, passengers can file a complaint, and we ensure taking strict legal action. We are also lobbying for bringing other necessary policies with regard to legal permissions and restrictions,” SP Adhikari told The Rising Nepal.
Taxi drivers are of the view that they have no problem with ridesharing services if they operate legally and not hamper their businesses.