POKHARA: The Gandaki Province Government has decided to temporarily suspend the implementation of the recently introduced “Gandaki Province Ride-Sharing (Regulation and Management) Guidelines, 2025” for one month. The decision follows a formal request from the federal government and takes into account the disruptions caused by the ongoing nationwide public transport shutdown.
The decision was based on an official letter sent Tuesday from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, which urged the province to halt implementation of the regulation to help ease the impact on daily life.
The Gandaki Province Government stated that the guidelines were not introduced as an emergency measure but were developed based on the rule of law, constitutional provisions, and federal consensus. The regulation was backed by several court rulings, including a directive from the Patan High Court in March 2020 stating that ride-sharing services should not be stopped, a Supreme Court order from August 2021 protecting the ‘Pe-Bike’ service, and a June 2024 decision from the Supreme Court that barred suspension of services like Pathao and instructed the government to establish a legal framework.
In 2024, a meeting chaired by the federal Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport also reached an agreement allowing provincial governments to create laws to regulate ride-sharing services. Based on this, Gandaki introduced the guidelines under Clause 394 of its Transport Management Act, 2019.
Ride-sharing services have been active in Nepal since 2016, providing employment to thousands of young people and offering an alternative transport option for the general public. The province government said it developed the guidelines to serve public interest, support the use of technology, and promote employment.
Although the guidelines received positive responses from consumers, service providers, and institutions, transport entrepreneurs were dissatisfied. They submitted a memorandum with two demands and later launched a transport shutdown on May 29, after the province invited them to formal talks through a five-member negotiation committee formed on May 26.
The province government again publicly called for dialogue on June 1. Following the federal government’s intervention, the Gandaki Province Government has now prioritized negotiations and decided to suspend implementation of the guidelines for one month, according to Secretary Er. Kamal Kumar Adhikari.
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