Kathmandu’s polluting two-stroke three wheelers have finally left town. The government had decided several years ago to get rid of these smoke-belching vehicles but had been unable to do so, because of pressures from vehicle owners. The owners finally agreed to take their vehicles outside the Valley after the government conceded to several of their demands and as a result, 15 July 2004 was the last day for Kathmanduites to ride the two-stroke three wheeler "tempos". The tempos are however being replaced by taxis and diesel powered microbuses. Replacing two-stroke three-wheelers by diesel vehicles is not a most wise thing to do in a city where concentration of particulate pollutant is very high. Diesel vehicles produce much more particles than petrol vehicles and diesel exhaust is a potential carcinogen.

See another news report: 2-stroke tempos stop plying, 18 July 2004

and editorial: Extend the drive, 19 July 2004 (The Himalayan Times)