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The government has reopened the registration of public vehicles after keeping the process suspended for nearly four months, with electric public passenger vehicles being given priority outside the Kathmandu Valley.

The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has informed transport offices and local governments across the country that registration of public vehicles has been resumed.

The department had suspended the registration of newly imported public vehicles on May 20, 2026 (Jestha 7), until further notice. The restriction was partially lifted on August 3 (Shrawan 18) for public freight vehicles.

According to a notice sent by the department, registration of public passenger vehicles outside the Kathmandu Valley has now been reopened, effective from September 17 (Ashoj 1).

The department has specifically instructed concerned authorities to prioritize electric public passenger vehicles while allowing their registration outside the Kathmandu Valley.

The decision has been linked to the government’s efforts to manage routes and public transportation within the Kathmandu Valley, where registration rules remain more restrictive.

“Considering route and vehicle management within Kathmandu Valley, registration has been opened for the time being, effective from Ashoj 1, only outside Kathmandu Valley, giving priority to electric public passenger vehicles,” the department said in its letter.

Within the Kathmandu Valley, however, registration of public vehicles will remain limited. The department said registration would be permitted only for school buses and replacement vehicles (satta-bharna).

The reopening is expected to provide some relief to transport operators and businesses that had been unable to register newly imported public passenger vehicles during the suspension.

The government’s decision to prioritize electric vehicles also signals a continued policy push toward electrification of public transportation. The move could encourage transport operators outside the Kathmandu Valley to shift toward electric buses and other electric public passenger vehicles.

However, the separate restriction on regular public vehicle registration within Kathmandu Valley means operators seeking to add new conventional or electric public passenger vehicles in the capital will continue to face limitations, except in the specified school bus and replacement categories.