Sajha Yatayat seals deal to operate electric buses in valley signed

The Province 3 government, and Kathmandu and Lalitpur metropolis today signed an agreement with Sajha Yatayat to purchase electric buses.
Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning of Province 3 Kailash Prasad Dhungel, Mayor of Kathmandu metropolis Bidya Sundar Shakya, Mayor of Lalitpur metropolis Chiri Babu Maharjan, and chairperson of Sajha Yatayat Co-operative Kanak Mani Dixit signed a four-party memorandum of understanding (MoU) to buy the new electric buses (EVs) in the presence of province 3 Chief Minister Dormani Poudel, to operate electric buses inside the valley.
The provincial government, on the occasion, also handed over a cheque of Rs 300 million to Dixit to purchase the EVs. Besides, Kathmandu and Lalitpur metropolis will provide Rs 100 million and Rs 25 million as their share to the cooperative public transportation organisation to procure EVs. “Sajha itself will invest Rs 25 million in the project,” Dixit said, adding that Sajha will buy 30 electric vehicles by spending Rs 450 million.
The electric buses will come into operation in the Valley within the next 10 months, according to Sajha, which has estimated that 30 electric buses will be purchased after announcing a global tender.
On the occasion, the two metropolis handed over 20 euro-4 vehicles to Sajha. Of the 20 buses, six will operate between the Naya Bus Park and Suryavinayak route, another six buses will operate in the Naya Bus Park-Kamal Vanayak route and eight buses will operate in the Naya Bus Park-Lagankhel-TIA route. For the new buses, the KMC had invested Rs 60 million and LMC has invested Rs 10 million.
With the new buses, the Sajha has a total of 71 buses on its fleet. Earlier the cooperative had been operating 51 buses in 10 different routes in the Kathmandu Valley, with two routes in and out of the valley: the Kathmandu-Waling route and the Kathmandu-Butwal-Bhairawa route.
CM Poudel, after signing the deal, said that the coming age will be the age of electric vehicles. “The provincial government is corresponding with Nepal Electricity Authority regarding putting up required charging stations for the vehicles,” he added.
The government last December also had announced that it would purchase and operate 300 electric buses in major cities, but the plan could not be materialised.
Lalitpur metropolis Mayor Maharjan, speaking at the programme, said the new drive is going to transform the Valley’s transportation system.
Sajha cooperative, on the occasion, also officially unveiled its smart travel card ‘Yatra Card’, which can be used by passengers on all its buses.

NEA to set up 10 electric vehicle charging stations in Valley

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) - that has one charging station inside its head office premises at Ratnapark in kathmandu - is setting up 10 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across Kathmandu Valley within the next six months as the demand for charging stations has increased due to increasing number of electric vehicles in the country in recent years.
The power utility – publishing a notice – said that it is seeking land space for lease for the establishment of such vehicle charging stations to promote government’s plan to prioritise electric vehicles. NEA has asked government agencies, business complexes, supermarkets, hotels and hospitals to submit applications.
According to the NEA, it aims to set up electric vehicle charging stations especially in areas where vehicular movement is relatively high. "The NEA will give priority to leasers especially from areas with high vehicular movement,” the notice reads. "The government power utility plans to publish a tender notice for the procurement of necessary machinery and equipment to set up charging stations soon."
The authority has also estimated the construction cost of the 10 electric vehicle charging stations to stand at around Rs 100 million.
NEA also plans to set up charging stations – in the second phase – across different places in Pokhara, Nepalgunj, Chitwan and Biratnagar, after Kathmandu Valley.
The government has prioritised electric vehicles due to growing concern regarding pollution issues, due to low cost factor because of reduced import duty, and also huge imports of fossile fuel that comes to around Rs 200 billion – almost one fourth of the total budget. NEA estimates that there are almost 600 electric vehicles plying on the Valley’s roads. But due to lack of charging stations, electric vehicles owners are forced to charge their vehicles at home.
The government – in its policies and programmes presented at the parliament on Friday – has announced about giving special treatment to electric vehicles and setting up charging stations across the country.
The government has – in its budget for the current fiscal year – reduced import duty on electric vehicles (public vehicles) to one per cent from 30 per cent. Similarly, import duty on private electric vehicles had been slashed to 10 per cent from 30 per cent, apart from excise duty exemption on electric vehicles.
But due to lack of necessary infrastructure like charging stations and route permit from the Department of Transport Management (DoTM), the electric vehicles have yet not got as much attention as it should have.