NO GREEN LIGHT FOR GREEN PLATE: Tourist vehicles like this one in Jomsom have to pay a hefty fee to local syndicates for the privilege of plying on the Pokhara-Jomsom route.

The prime minister has chosen to drive around in a Mustang, but in Mustang passengers have no choice but to ride on syndicate-operated Mustangs. Ever since the Beni-Jomsom track was opened four years ago, tourists and locals are at the mercy of a transportation cartel.

In October, green-plated tourist jeeps were forced to stop on the road and terrified tourists and pilgrims were forced to walk. Other vehicles had their tyres deflated by locals affiliated with the Muktinath Bus and Jeep Transportation Committee which has a monopoly on the route. Like other bus syndicates in various parts of the country, this one has also earned notoriety for its intimidation tactics and has forced other operators from carrying passengers to Muktinath, Kagbeni and Upper Mustang.

The cartel operates 20 mainly Mustang jeeps daily from Pokhara to Mustang and has arbitrary pricing with drivers often charging as much as they wish. The syndicate has been defiant despite opposition from local passengers and tour agencies.

The syndicate's secretary Raju Lalchan admits he has to intimidate other operators and stop them. "How else am I going to run my business? My workers will be out of jobs." Lalchan's argument is that since the army built the road, there has been no maintenance by the Road Department, and the syndicate has to spend money to keep the highway operational. "We maintain the road, so why should others benefit from it?" he asks.

But the violent tactics and threats have affected the inflow of Indian pilgrims to Muktinath as well as tourists on their way to Upper Mustang. Says local tourism entrepreneur Chandra Bastakoti: "There used to be hundreds of tourists, now it has gone down to a trickle, and local passengers are put off by the high ticket price."

Despite a Supreme Court ban, syndicates are prevalent throughout the country. Mustang's CDO Yogendra Pandey admits that the bus cartel is not conducive to business, but says he also needs to keep the peace in his district, which probably means the syndicate owners have powerful political connections and are untouchable. Whatever the case, the national government and local administration are not fulfilling their regulatory role in the transportation sector.

Hari Devi Rokaya in Jomsom