Fixing Kathmandu’s Broken Transport System

The recent report on the Kathmandu Valley Public Transport System, prepared under the Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project (KUTP), proposes dividing the valley's routes into three tiers. Under this plan, primary routes will operate 12-metre-long large buses or 18-metre or longer articulated battery-powered electric buses on main roads, for which eight major routes have been identified. Secondary routes will operate 9- to 10-metre medium-sized buses, while tertiary routes will serve inner and narrow roads. Small vehicles and electric tempos will provide services on tertiary routes and act as feeder services connecting passengers to the large bus routes on the main roads. This system is expected to connect residential areas of the valley more efficiently with the main commercial centres.