Nepal

Electric vehicles, waiting for a green signal for more than three years, have come into operation after the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) began running them on a 15-day trial. 

LDT Vice-chair Awadesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief District Officer Bharatmani Pandey and LDT treasurer Siddhicharan Bhattarai jointly inaugurated the service amidst a programme on Thursday. 

Five electric buses will provide services along the Lumbini Airport, Belhiya-Ramgram, Airport- Golpark, Lumbini-Tilaurakot site circuit, Airport-Manigram-Devdaha routes and the shuttle service around Lumbini. 

The Hotel Association of Nepal, Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and LDT have each managed a driver for the buses. After the trial period, the service will be launched formally. 

The vehicles were brought to Lumbini with the support of the Asian Development Bank and remained non-operational without a modality for operation. 

Despite the preparations for launching the service bearing in mind the Dashain festival, the LDT has yet to develop a sustainable working procedure to operate the bus service. 

Earlier, Home Minister Balkrishna Khand had instructed the LDT to launch the service promptly. – RSS