Against this background, it feels ironic to see an old trolleybus with the slogan "I am the future" printed on it lying derelict at Minbhawan in the heart of the capital. The slogan has now become most relevant. Around 4,000 passengers would have been commuting and reducing fossil fuel consumption by 4,200 liters on a daily basis were the trolleybuses still plying.Denizens of the capital are now reminiscing the times when the trolleybus system was still operational and could be relied upon. "The trolley buses did not need fossil fuel. They were completely environment-friendly," said Mukunda Raj Satyal, a public transport research scholar.
The trolleybus system was a gift from China. It was started in 1975 with Chinese technical expertise and a grant of Rs 40 million. At first, 22 standard trolleybuses were provided and an additional 20 were gifted a few years later, according to Satyal.
Each trolleybus had a seat capacity of 35 but could accommodate up to 90 passengers. The 13 kilometers trolleybus line extended from Tripureshwor to Suryabinayak. However, the service was discontinued in 2009 due to various problems and mismanagement.
The fuel crisis has finally opened the eyes of the public to the importance of electric vehicles, especially in public transport. But despite the fuel crisis, the government has no concrete plan to encourage electronic vehicles and reduce fossil fuel dependency.
Satyal, a former official at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT), claimed that the trolleybuses saved 4,200 liters of petrol per day. That volume would have saved over Rs 400,000 in fuel expenses at current prices.
Although the government said it is working on a plan to introduce environment-friendly mass transportation buses, it is yet to make any concrete strides. None of the previous plans to make the transportation sector environment-friendly has been implemented effectively either.
"We will soon be reviewing our options for an environment friendly transportation system. We are working on plans to operate trams, battery-run buses and electric vehicles," said Chandra Man Shrestha, director general of the Department of Transport Management (DoTM). He, however, dismissed the chances of reviving the trolleybuses and stressed that trams were a better option. He said trams are more modern but did not elaborate.
While addressing the nation a few weeks ago, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had pledged to promote mass transit and electric vehicles.
Failure to formulate an effective policy is leading to the proliferation of fossil fuel-dependent vehicles. Stating that Nepal has great potential in alternative energy, Satyal stressed the need to harness it.
"Other countries will willingly help us if we are sincere in our efforts to reduce fuel dependency. We just have to make sure not to repeat the same mistake we made over the Chinese-gifted trolleybuses," added Satyal.
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