A shortage of taxis in Nepal

MANY of the people who live in Katmandu are convinced that theirs is one of the most polluted cities in the world. And they know the reason for the pollution: the three-wheeled taxis, called Vikram tempos, whose diesel fumes spoil the otherwise sweet air of the Himalayan state. Tempos that dare to drive down some streets in the city are pelted with stones by furious residents. Now the government has taken action that will be applauded in other cities whose residents believe they are being poisoned by traffic fumes: Bangkok, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur, to name but three. It has ordered that all the tempos must get off the streets of Katmandu by mid-August.