Kathmandu. Independent lawmaker Mahabir Pun has demanded that the government immediately scrap the taxation and black plate system seen in the taxi business.

Speaking in the meeting of the House of Representatives on Thursday, lawmaker Pun said that the taxi drivers are being unnecessarily burdened as they are working class citizens. He said that taxi drivers are involved in taxi business to feed their families and the government has imposed 250 to 300 percent tax on the purchase of taxis.

“I want to speak for taxi drivers,” he said. Those who are driving taxis are labourers. They have started the taxi business to support their family. While driving in a taxi, I came to know that the government has imposed a tax of 250 to 300 percent for buying a taxi. ’

According to lawmaker Pun, apart from the tax levied on the purchase of a taxi, he has to spend around Rs 15 lakh to get a ‘black plate’ i.e. taxi license plate. “The taxi drivers still have to pay Rs 15 lakh to get a black plate for the license plate of the taxi.

It costs Rs 15 lakh to buy a black plate. It’s a matter of manipulation,” he said.

Blaming that there was manipulation and syndicate in the system, he urged the government to seriously study the issue.

“It’s about manipulation, it’s about syndicates. Therefore, this manipulation should be understood and dismissed immediately,” he said. Lawmaker Pun also stressed the need for policy reforms for taxi drivers to operate their business in a comfortable environment.