Infrastructure Minister Sunil Lamsal Announces Policy Transformation in Public Transport

Kathmandu. Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal has stated that the process of policy transformation in the public transport sector has been advanced.

On Friday, during a discussion with the Nepal Transport National Entrepreneurs Federation at the ministry, Minister Lamsal said that the government has advanced the process of policy transformation to manage city buses, long-distance buses, and taxis across the country according to the BRT model and international standards. The government is no longer in favor of diesel vehicles and is moving forward with a plan to make all public transport fully electric, he opined. Clarifying that the government will not issue the Transport Act without the full consent and consultation of the entrepreneurs, he mentioned that there will be ample discussion with the entrepreneurs while drafting the act. In the first phase, work has been advanced in Pokhara, then in Kathmandu and Lumbini for the management of internal public transport in coordination with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the ministry. He clarified that entrepreneurs are currently buying diesel vehicles and strictness has been imposed on the registration and management of black number plates precisely so that they are not disadvantaged if electric vehicles are made mandatory later. At the program, the Nepal Transport National Entrepreneurs Federation handed over a donation of Rs 9,184,695 to the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund to Minister Lamsal. The federation also drew Minister Lamsal's attention to the improvement of the public transport sector.