Gandaki Province Mandates Registration for Ride-Sharing Services

Pokhara. The Gandaki Province government has issued a notice for the registration of ride-sharing services operating within the province.

The government published the second amendment to the Ride-Sharing Regulation and Management in the Gazette on May 14. The government has stated that ride-sharing must be registered within 30 days from June 2.

The government has stipulated that a ride-sharing company can register a maximum of 300 vehicles for four-wheeled vehicles. However, the regulation mentions that this limit will not apply to vehicles already registered as taxis and affiliated with the company.

For two-wheeled vehicles, the minimum engine capacity of petroleum engines must be 95cc. For four-wheeled rental cars, the seating capacity must be a maximum of 5, including the driver. For ride-sharing purposes, four-wheeled vehicles will not require a meter installation, and they will not be allowed to display the word 'taxi' or other taxi identification symbols on the vehicle.

According to the regulation, ride-sharing service providers must offer a 10 percent discount to passengers on the fare set by the provincial government through their app. For public electric vehicles, arrangements should be made to provide up to a 15 percent discount on the app.

Service provider companies must submit a monthly declaration of the details of the amount collected from vehicle owners or drivers to the licensing office.

The ministry will form a three-member expert team to verify the accuracy of the details submitted by the company. This committee will monitor and inspect the app within 75 days of the end of the fiscal year and submit a report to the ministry. Strict action has been arranged for companies involved in tax evasion and submitting false information.

If the declared tax details and actual details are found to be different during the monitoring, a fine equal to the difference in the tax amount will be levied for the first time. For the second time, a two hundred percent fine will be imposed, and for the third time, the company's ride-sharing service operation permit will be revoked.

If found to be operating without registration or a license within the period specified by the government, there is a provision for fines and actions according to the regulation and other prevailing laws.