Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubhir Mahaseth inaugurated the charging station established in the premises of Sajha Yatayat in Pulchowk, Lalitpur.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Minister Mahaseth said that the government has trusted the Sajha Yatayat in the expansion of public transport, according to HimalKhabar.
He expressed his hope that the service of Sajha will be more effective in the future.
Speaking at the same program, Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Balram Adhikari said that the Sajha Yatayat has been established as an organization which has won the trust of people since the past.
He also hoped that Sajha’s electric journey would be sustainable and long-term.
On the occasion, Sajha Yatayat Chairman Kanakmani Dixit said that forty electric buses and a charging station were brought into operation with Rs 3 billion provided by the government in the first phase as per the policy to spend the amount in three phases.
He also informed that there are 24 charging mechanisms consuming 1.2 megawatt electricity in the charging station installed in the premises of Sajha Yatayat.
Similarly, saying there is a lack of space for the buses to be brought in the future, Dixit said that they are coordinating with 14 municipalities of the Kathmandu Valley to expand charging stations.
He said that the country will witness significant changes if the public vehicles are transformed into electric. Chairman Dixit further added that the public vehicles will not be expanded in Nepal without participation of the private sector.
He went on to say that the Sajha has started a process to learn technology by converting diesel buses into electric in collaboration with Solution Plan.
Meanwhile, he announced to give two buses of Sajha to the Pokhara International Airport.
Currently, the Sajha has been operating 111 buses including 71 diesel buses with 50-passenger capacity and 40 electric buses.
Dixit added that the Sajha has been planning to bring a 12-meter-long bus in the near future and to expand the service between Kathmandu and provinces under ‘provincial service’ like in the past.
Also speaking at the program, Lalitpur Metropolitan City Mayor Chiribabu Maharjan said that Lalitpur has made a huge investment in Sajha Yatayat after Kathmandu Metropolitan City. He said that the Metropolitan City has a plan to expand the bus services soon in the inner roads.
Likewise, Nepal Electricity Authority Managing Director Kulman Ghising said that the electric vehicles have replaced fossil fuel consumption of around Rs 20 million per day.
“The operation cost will be reduced from 10 to 15 percent if the public vehicles are converted to electric,” Ghising said.
He said that around Rs 5 billion will be saved if the public vehicles are transformed into electric.
