Kathmandu, June 25: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order, barring transport entrepreneurs from enforcing strikes or halting public transportation services, citing disruption to essential services and inconvenience to the public.

A joint bench of Justices Til Prasad Shrestha and Mahesh Sharma Poudel delivered the order on Tuesday, stating that shutdowns in critical sectors like public transport cannot be justified under any circumstances.

The order comes in response to a writ petition filed by advocate Jaya Prasad Poudel on behalf of the Consumer Interest Protection Forum. The petition was lodged following widespread protests by transport operators across the country, particularly in Gandaki Province, against the introduction of ride-sharing regulations.

The apex court named as defendants several government offices and transport regulatory bodies, including the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, provincial transport ministries across all seven provinces, and the Central Office of the National Federation of Transport Entrepreneurs based in Lalitpur.

Earlier, the court had issued a show-cause notice and summoned both parties for a hearing. The transport strike, which began in Gandaki Province, had escalated into a nationwide disruption, bringing public mobility to a virtual halt.

In its interim order, the court instructed transport entrepreneurs and regulatory agencies not to obstruct essential public services through strikes or vehicle shutdowns. The full text of the court’s written order has yet to be released.

People’s News Monitoring Service