Nepal students continue protests

Kathmandu: Students blocked traffic and attacked government vehicles for the fourth day in the Nepalese capital on Sunday, protesting fuel price increases and demanding a discount on public transportation fares.

Public buses, vans and taxis, meanwhile, were absent from the streets as drivers attempted to force the government to allow them to increase fares.

The government has said it can allow a 25 per cent increase but the Transport Entrepreneur's Association has demanded as much as 35 per cent to cover rising fuel prices.

With the absence of public transport, thousands of people walked instead.

College students, who have been protesting since Thursday, continued their protests in several areas of Katmandu. They torched a government motorcycle and attacked several other vehicles.

The students are pressing the government to immediately withdraw fuel price increases, which went into effect June 10.

Nepal Oil Corp., a state-owned company with a monopoly on importing and distributing oil, said the price rise was necessary to reduce its losses and increase supplies.

Since the increase went into effect, the pump price of gasoline has jumped 25 per cent to 100 rupees per liter (US$5.70 per gallon), while diesel shot up 25 per cent to 70 rupees a liter (US$3.80 a gallon).