Rabindra Ghimire
April 3, 2021
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On March 22, 2021, a Pathao rider was assaulted by a taxi driver at Gongabu of Kathmandu claiming that the Pathao rider lured his customer away by offering a ride at a low fare. This clash has revived a controversy on the operation of ride-sharing apps such as Pathao and Tootle. The controversy, meanwhile, highlighted the urgent need for a law to regulate them.
This controversy started as soon as Tootle launched a ride-sharing service on motorcycles and taxis in December 2016. At that time, the government responded saying it was illegal to ferry passengers on private vehicles.
Not only the government officials, but transport entrepreneurs also tried to stop this service many times. But, with the widespread popularity of the apps among service users, the government has neither been able to shut down the service nor give it legitimacy. Due to that, there have been lingering problems in this business.