Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act, 1993

Type: Act
Year: २०४९ BS · 1993 AD
Status: In force
Category: खण्ड ९: पर्यटन, श्रम तथा यातायात · Volume 9: Tourism, Labor and Transport
Official text: Official page Official text (PDF)
English translation: Official English translation archived copy: the original page is no longer online
Includes amendments up to: 2050 BS. Translations may not include later amendments. The Nepali text is the authoritative law.

Used on our issue pages

Roads, transport and infrastructure

Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.

What does it do?

The Act is Nepal's main road transport law. It classifies vehicles, requires every vehicle to be registered (imported vehicles first get a 15-day entry registration from the police at the border), bars using a vehicle for a purpose other than the one it is registered for (including duty-free vehicles), and sets rules for diplomatic plates, registration certificates and their renewal.यो नेपालको मुख्य सडक यातायात कानून हो। यसले सवारीको वर्गीकरण गर्छ, हरेक सवारी दर्ता गर्नुपर्ने व्यवस्था गर्छ (विदेशबाट ल्याइएका सवारी नाकामा प्रहरीबाट १५ दिनका लागि प्रवेश दर्ता गराउनुपर्छ), दर्ता भएको भन्दा फरक प्रयोजनमा (भन्सार छुट पाएका सवारीसमेत) प्रयोग गर्न रोक्छ, र कूटनीतिक नम्बर प्लेट, दर्ता प्रमाणपत्र र नवीकरणका नियम तोक्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Chapters 2–3, Sections 11–44, pp. 6–20
No one may drive without a driving licence, or let an unlicensed person drive their vehicle; licences are not given to people under 21 for heavy vehicles or under 18 for medium and light vehicles. Conductors also need a licence.चालक अनुमतिपत्रबिना कसैले सवारी चलाउन वा अनुमतिपत्र नभएकालाई आफ्नो सवारी चलाउन दिन पाउँदैन; ठूलो सवारीका लागि २१ वर्ष र मझौला तथा साना सवारीका लागि १८ वर्ष नपुगेकालाई अनुमतिपत्र दिइँदैन। परिचालकलाई पनि अनुमतिपत्र चाहिन्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Chapters 4–5, Sections 45–73, pp. 20–28
The Department of Transport Management fixes routes for public vehicles, which need a route permit (valid four months) that is granted only if crew and third-party insurance, vehicle fitness and registration renewal are in order; the Department also sets public transport fares and studies transport services. Every vehicle must be insured, and public-vehicle crews must have accident insurance; if an uninsured vehicle causes harm, the owner must pay the equivalent compensation.यातायात व्यवस्था विभागले सार्वजनिक सवारीको रुट निर्धारण गर्छ; रुट इजाजतपत्र (चार महिनासम्म मान्य) चालक दल र तेस्रो पक्षको बीमा, सवारी जाँचपास र दर्ता नवीकरण पूरा भएमा मात्र दिइन्छ। विभागले सार्वजनिक यातायातको भाडा पनि तोक्छ र यातायात सेवाबारे अध्ययन गर्छ। हरेक सवारीको बीमा अनिवार्य छ, सार्वजनिक सवारीका कामदारको दुर्घटना बीमा गर्नुपर्छ, र बीमा नगरेको सवारीबाट क्षति भएमा धनीले सो बराबर क्षतिपूर्ति दिनुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Chapter 6, Sections 74–80, pp. 28–29; Chapter 8, Sections 148–152, pp. 44–46; Section 153, p. 46
Traffic rules ban careless and drunk driving, speeding and unsafe vehicles, and require drivers to help accident victims. Penalties range from fines for traffic offences to life imprisonment where a driver intentionally kills someone with a vehicle, and 5–12 years where the attempt fails.ट्राफिक नियमले लापरबाहीपूर्वक वा मादक पदार्थ सेवन गरेर सवारी चलाउन, तोकिएभन्दा बढी गतिमा चलाउन र अवस्था ठीक नभएको सवारी चलाउन निषेध गर्छ, र दुर्घटनामा परेकालाई सहयोग गर्न अनिवार्य बनाउँछ। ट्राफिक कसूरमा जरिवानादेखि जानीजानी सवारीले मान्छे मारेमा जन्मकैद र मार्न खोजेर नमरेमा ५ देखि १२ वर्षसम्म कैदसम्मका सजाय छन्। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Chapter 7, Sections 145–147, p. 44; Chapter 10, Sections 161 ff., pp. 50–55

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

Unclear Federal and provincial transport laws overlap. Under the Constitution, national transport policy and national highways are federal, provincial highways provincial and local roads local. Section 153(घ) of this Act gives the federal Department of Transport Management power to fix public transport fares, while provincial transport acts also let provinces set routes and fares, so the Auditor General called for a federal transport law to remove the duplication and clarify provincial and local roles.सङ्घीय र प्रदेश यातायात कानून एकआपसमा खप्टिएका छन्। संविधानअनुसार राष्ट्रिय यातायात नीति र राष्ट्रिय लोकमार्ग संघको, प्रदेश लोकमार्ग प्रदेशको र स्थानीय सडक स्थानीय तहको अधिकारमा छन्। यस ऐनको दफा १५३(घ) ले यातायात व्यवस्था विभागलाई सार्वजनिक यातायातको भाडा तोक्ने अधिकार दिएको छ भने प्रदेशका सवारी तथा यातायात ऐनले पनि प्रदेशस्तरमा रुट र भाडा तोक्ने व्यवस्था गरेका छन्; त्यसैले दोहोरोपना हटाउन सङ्घीय यातायात कानून बनाई प्रदेश र स्थानीय तहको भूमिका स्पष्ट गर्न महालेखापरीक्षकले सुझाव दिएको छ। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal OAG 62nd Report, MoPIT chapter (Department of Transport Management), para 86, printed pp. 385–386; Act s. 153, p. 46
Not enforced Embossed number plates, made mandatory by Gazette notice for new registrations, transfers and renewals, are not being fitted as required. Under a 2074 contract worth US$43.79 million for 2.5 million plates, Rs 926 million had been paid, 592,809 plates printed and supplied but only 63,289 fitted by provincial transport offices, and the monitoring gates promised in the contract were incomplete; the electronic vehicle registration system ran in only 13 offices, and Bagmati Province used its own system, so vehicle data were not integrated.राजपत्रमा सूचना निकालेर नयाँ दर्ता, नामसारी र नवीकरणमा अनिवार्य गरिएको इम्बोस्ड नम्बर प्लेट जडान हुन सकेको छैन। २५ लाख नम्बर प्लेटका लागि २०७४ मा अमेरिकी डलर ४ करोड ३७ लाखको सम्झौता भई रु. ९२ करोड ६२ लाख भुक्तानी भइसक्दा ५,९२,८०९ प्लेट छापिएर आपूर्ति भए पनि प्रदेश यातायात कार्यालयबाट ६३,२८९ मात्र जडान भएका थिए, र सम्झौताअनुसारका अनुगमन गेट बनिसकेका थिएनन्; विद्युतीय सवारी दर्ता प्रणाली १३ कार्यालयमा मात्र चलेको र बागमती प्रदेशले छुट्टै प्रणाली चलाएकाले सवारीको तथ्याङ्क एकीकृत भएको थिएन। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal OAG 62nd Report, MoPIT chapter (Department of Transport Management), paras 87–88, printed p. 386

Ideas to fix it

Make a federal transport law that removes duplication of functions and clarifies what provinces and local levels do.सङ्घीय यातायात कानून बनाई कार्यक्षेत्रको दोहोरोपना हटाउने र प्रदेश तथा स्थानीय तहबाट हुने कामको कानूनी स्पष्टता गर्ने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General (62nd Annual Report) Office of the Auditor General, Nepal

Where does it conflict with other laws?

No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.

Open questions for lawmakers

Research candidates on possible conflicts, gaps or loopholes involving this law. Not legal findings: each awaits qualified legal review.

Public transport routes and fares: the federal Act, provincial Acts and a metropolitan Act each give the power to a different body

Regulations and rules made under it

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