He informed that the Lalitpur Met­ropolitan City would collaborate with Sajha Yatayat to provide the bus service. The city is also plan­ning to rope in private companies and increase the number of elec­tric buses. So far it has received three proposals.

 

Lower operational cost

 

Studies show that China has increased production of electric buses in recent years. In particular, BYD, the Chinese battery and electric vehicle maker, has been producing large electric buses. The Lalitpur Metropolitan City decided to col­laborate with the company after it announced that it would produce buses of lengths 9.5m and 12m.

 

Apart from the trolley bus service, which is no longer in operation, the electric buses are a new experi­ment for Nepal although the country has been importing electric cars in recent years. These buses will cost between Rs 20 to 30 million each. Despite the high initial cost, the electric buses will have lower oper­ational costs and be more durable and environmentally-friendly than petroleum buses.

 

Data from the Department of Transport Management show that there are over three million petroleum vehicles in the coun­try, of which 1.2 million ply in Kathmandu Valley.

 

EV for the mayor too

 

While the Kathmandu Metropoli­tan City has already bought a petro­leum vehicle worth Rs 12 million for its mayor, the Lalitpur Metropoli­tan City is planning to purchase an electric vehicle for its mayor in the upcoming fiscal year. Environmen­talist Bhushan Tuladhar argues that the state needs to subsidize electric vehicles, since they are far better for the environment. “Private compa­nies should also be encouraged to operate electric vehicles,” he says.

 

Many environmentalists accuse government officials of having a vested interest in the petroleum trade and therefore being uninter­ested in electric vehicles. Apparently they also receive petroleum vehicles as gifts from private companies.  

 

By CHHETU SHERPA