Nepal, India agree on smoothening cross-border vehicular movement

India is devising a web-based solution to facilitate two-way traffic between Nepal and India.
The first meeting of the Nepal-India Cross Border Transport Facilitation Joint Working Group (JWG) under the Motor Vehicle Agreement for regulation of passenger vehicular traffic between the two countries – held in New Delhi on July 16-17 – recommended the web-based solution to facilitate movement of vehicles across the Nepal- India border.
National Informatics Centre (NIC) – the IT-solution provider of Indian government – will design a web-based solution for the issue of online permits under the bilateral Nepal-India Motor Vehicle Agreement," a press note released after the meeting reads.
The web-based solution will help issue, monitor and verify permits for non-scheduled and personal passenger vehicles, it says, adding that the new online vehicle permit system – after being developed by NIC – would be demonstrated to Nepal for consideration, suggestions and concurrence.
The new system would facilitate procurement of vehicle permits for people based in far-flung and remote areas, it adds.
After concurrence by both sides, the web-based portal for issue of vehicle permits would be tested on a pilot basis at Birgunj-Raxaul and Bhairahawa-Sunauli border points. The existing manual and traditional system for the issuing of vehicle permits being used by both countries would continue simultaneously.
The joint-secretary-level meeting – that saw an eight-member delegation from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Management and their counterpart Indian delegation led by India's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways – also agreed for rationalising permit fees, customs duty and bank guarantees for different categories of vehicles.
Likewise, the Indian side told Nepal that free Wi-Fi service and a tracking system have been installed on the Delhi-Kathmandu route.
The JWG also recommended starting regular bus services between India and Nepal in four new routes including Kathmandu-Patna-Bodhgaya, Mahendranagar-New Delhi, Siliguri-Kakarbhitta-Kathmandu and Janakpur-Patna.
Currently, regular bus services between Kathmandu and New Delhi and between Kathmandu and Varanasi are in operation.
The new routes will improve connectivity and seamless movement between Nepal and the border states of India, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttarakhand, the note says.