NFNTE has submitted a proposal at the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), demanding Rs 7.5 million so as to be able to run the night bus service for another six to eight months. [break]
NFNTE, an umbrella organization of transport entrepreneurs, has also proposed KMC to allow transport entrepreneurs to run 20 new buses during the office hours. “We have also proposed KMC to allow us to run buses from five in the morning to 11 pm for next five years,” said Dharma Raj Rimal, Bagmati co-coordinator of NFNTE. The entrepreneurs have complained that they have been incurring huge losses despite the government subsidy.
KMC had provided Rs 4.5 million in subsidy transport entrepreneurs to operate the service for six months. “We have not even been able to raise the operating cost,” claimed Rimal. He said that as per their commitment, they would run the service for the next three months.
“However, given the losses we cannot run the service for a long time,” said Rimal, adding, “The metropolis either has to come up with an alternative or act on our proposal if it wants to continue the night-time bus service.”
KMC Chief Kedar Bahadur Adhikari said the metropolis is mulling to provide assistance to the entrepreneurs.
“We cannot provide service without spending anything. We should either invest or provide subsidy to the entrepreneurs,” said Adhikari. He said that he had personally monitored the night bus service and had found the number of passengers satisfactory. KMC said public mobility has increased during night time after the start of the night bus service.
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