As the fuel crisis gets worse in the country, black marketing in transportation fare has increased in the far-west region. Local passengers complained that they were compelled to pay double the usual fare for vehicles traveling in the hilly districts of the far-west. Vehicles moving from Dhangadi, Mahendranagar, Attariya, and Nepalgunj to seven hilly districts of the region have been overcharging passengers.

Black marketing in the ticket price is said to have increased not from ticket counters, but from outside. Local Dhan Rokaya said vehicle operators charged the passengers Rs 1,600 from Attariya of Kailali to Tipada of Bajura against the usual fare of Rs 1,040. "I have no option but to pay the overcharged amount though it is not justifiable,” he said.

Another local Prem Bahadur Singh said he had to pay double the usual fare to reach his destination. It has been found that vehicles leaving for Bajura, Bajhang, Accham, Doti, Darchula, Baitadi, and Dadeldhura of the far-west have charged Rs 500 more than the actual fare.

Vehicle operators said they were compelled to charge extra for the tickets as they had bought the fuel at a higher price. Chairman of the far-west Bus Entrepreneurs Committee Tek Raj Joshi claimed that they were selling the tickets only from the counters. “The rumors about tickets being sold from outside the counter is untrue,” he informed. He said the committee would not be responsible if somebody sold tickets outside the counter. Joshi added that they were facing problems operating vehicles due to the ongoing fuel crunch. Transport entrepreneur Ramesh Rawal said they had to buy diesel at Rs 150 per liter, which was more than double the normal price. Surendra Nath, a passenger of Tipada, said even if tickets were booked a couple of days earlier, there was no guarantee of the vehicle arriving at the respective destinations.