Three new electric buses of the Sajha Yatayat have begun their trial services in the Kathmandu Valley since Thursday.
Initailly, three buses will be in operation in the valley’s roads as a trial service. The other remaining 37 buses will arrive in Kathmandu by mid-August, according to a statement issued by Sajha Yatayat Sahakari Sanstha Limited. Bishwabandhu Thapa, 95, founder of Sajha Yatayat, inaugurated the soft launch of the trial service on Thursday.
Three electric buses were brought in the first phase in May this year. It has planned to bring electric buses in three phases because all electric buses are manufactured at the CHTC company’s factory in Nanjing, China.
In the first phase, 8.5-meter long 40 buses were purchased through an international tender. In the second phase, 10 to12-metre long buses are being purchased for the long distance route.
The first three electric buses brought into operation by Sajha will operate in two routes. While two of them will run from New Bus Park, Balaju, Thamel, Ratnapark, Baneshwor, Minbhawan to Airport, one will ply the roads from Lagankhel, Lainchaur, Bansbari to Budanilkantha.
Female drivers and conductors are employed in theses buses.
At the launch event, Kanak Mani Dixit, chairman of Sajha Yatayat, said that government has invested in electric transportation by taking into consideration environment and convenience of the passengers.
He said that private sector has covered the large area in public transportation, so the government should provide loan in subsidy to make regular operation of the electric buses possible.
“We have requested the government to provide a large area for charging station for the electric buses, he said.
Sajha has also informed that its electric buses are friendly to the differently abled persons.
Source : TRN,
