KATHMANDU: The Nepal government is preparing to bring public vehicles into operation from the June 28 as part of lockdown relaxation.

According to a preliminary draft of the lockdown modality, the public vehicles will be allowed to carry passengers only half of its capacity.

The use of mask is mandatory for the passengers. Similarly, the public vehicles have to be disinfected each day before it resumes duty and be equipped with sanitizer to stem coronavirus spread.

Only short-route vehicles will be allowed to run in the first phase. The High Level Coordination Committee for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 is also consulting with transport entrepreneurs.

According to sources, the transport entrepreneurs have demanded that the fares should be hiked if the vehicles were allowed to only carry half of its capacity.

The public vehicles will be allowed to ply the roads in a district in the first phase. In case of the Kathmandu Valley, the vehicles will be allowed to run in three districts.