39 high-tech luxury city buses start rolling in capital

Kathmandu March 14- The long wait for city commuters to enjoy comfortable travel is finally over. Mahanagar Transport Pvt Ltd yesterday launched first-of-its-kind luxurious and hi-tech city buses in Kathmandu. The fleet of 39 coaches equipped with Wi-Fi, location tracking mobile app, LED television and CCTV cameras will ply the Ring Road in the first phase. The company has decided to give priority to women as conductors to make the buses a symbol of good hospitality and reception. The 32-seater coach can accommodate around 70 passengers at a time.

It is expected to promote mass transportation in the capital and reduce traffic congestion and the use of private vehicles. The company has invested approximately Rs 160 million in the coaches. The buses will charge the standard fare rate fixed by the government. GPS tracking system will allow passengers to know about the nearest bus and the number of people travelling in the coach.

The company has a garage spread over four ropanis of land in Banasthali. Various studies have shown that there is a need to increase the capacity of strategic road networks, reduce the proportion of private motorised vehicles in the central areas, encourage people to travel by public transport instead of private vehicles and manage the traffic so that people can travel without facing difficulties.