Nepal Truck Transport Entrepreneurs Federation and Sanima Bank Sign Agreement for Cashless Tunnel Fee Payment

Kathmandu. An agreement has been reached between the Nepal Truck Transport Entrepreneurs Federation and Sanima Bank Limited to arrange for the payment of entry and usage fees for the Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola tunnel through a cashless system. As per the agreement, the fee for entering the tunnel will be managed through an RFID system, and truck and other entrepreneurs will be provided with the facility to easily pay fees through QR codes. This is expected to eliminate the compulsion for tunnel users to carry cash to pay fees and make the payment process more convenient and transparent. Rajendra Bikram Baniya on behalf of the Nepal Truck Transport Entrepreneurs Federation and Hemraj Sanjyal, Chief Deposit Officer, on behalf of Sanima Bank Limited, signed the agreement. The government had previously decided to collect fees from vehicles plying the Nagdhunga tunnel section for tunnel usage, exercising the authority granted by Section 6, Sub-section (1) of the Road Board Act, 2058. In accordance with that decision, the ministry published a notice in the gazette specifying the entry and exit fees for various vehicles. According to the specified rates, cars, vans, pickups, tractors, minibuses, and other light vehicles will have to pay a fee of 65 rupees for entering Kathmandu and 60 rupees for exiting. Similarly, minibuses and mini tippers/trucks will have to pay 115 rupees for entering the tunnel and 80 rupees for exiting. For buses and trucks with single rear axles, the entry fee has been set at 260 rupees and the exit fee at 200 rupees. For multi-axle trucks and other heavy vehicles and heavy equipment, the entry fee has been set at 600 rupees and the exit fee at 250 rupees. Federation Chairman Baniya believes that the implementation of the cashless payment system will further facilitate fee payment, especially for truck and goods vehicle entrepreneurs who regularly use the tunnel.