“We always drive for a purpose. Most of the times, it´s to uplift education and health standard in different parts of the country. But this time, it´s to bring together Nepali speaking communities in two country and establish a good relation with our neighbors,” said Gopal Sundar Lal Kakshapati, the founder president of Association of Nepal´s Beetle Users Group (ANBUG) - the organizer of the rally.[break]
This is the first international rally organized by ANBUG. Though the association had been trying to take the rally beyond national frontiers since 2007, it had failed so far due to Tarai problems, unstable political situation and difficulties in getting permits.
The rally will reach Sikkim, its final destination, on Thursday.
Beetle owners follow their motto of ´driving for a purpose´. They have been helping in education and health sectors in different parts of the country.
“We always help poor people who need to undergo cleft lip surgery. Apart from that, we are paying monthly salary to about five teachers working at rural schools,” said Kaksthapati.
The association plans to continue organizing rallies and helping people in the days to come as well. It plans to organize a rally to Pokhara, Tansen and Lumbini in the near future. The association started with just 15 members in 2005. Today, it has 60 members.
There are around 90 vintage Beetles in Kathmandu. There were around 140 vintage Beetles in Kathmandu about three years ago. But many of them were sold for scrap after the government announced 50 percent waiver in customs duty for vehicles imported in place of scrapped vehicles.
Vintage Beetles came to Kathmandu when Germans drove it all the way from their homeland in the 1970s, according to Kakshapati. “These cars were sold to Nepalis for $25 or less. Majority of these cars were not imported from the company,” said Kakshapati.
Monetary value of the car has become better lately after the public awareness conducted by the group.
Kakshapati said high annual tax imposed by the government on old vehicles has emerged as a big problem for vintage Beetle users. “We need to pay Rs 30,000 as annual tax, where other cars need to pay just Rs 10,000,” added Kakshapati.
“The association will continue bringing vintage Beetle users together. Our dream is to drive these cars to Germany some day.”
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