Nepal Launches Ambitious 'Blue Bus' Plan for Safer, Gender-Friendly Public Transport Across Seven Provinces

Kathmandu. With the objective of making Nepal's public transportation system safer and gender-friendly, the government has put forward an ambitious plan to operate 'Blue Buses' in all seven provinces.

The Cabinet meeting held on Friday approved the 'One Hundred Agendas for Governance Reform,' where point number 97 mentions operating Blue Buses in all seven provinces to ensure safe commuting for women.

According to the government's target, at least 25 such buses will be on the roads in the first phase within the next 100 days. While this announcement has generated enthusiasm, stakeholders suggest that its sustainability and implementation remain challenging.

Chitwan's 'Blue Bus': An Attempt to Lay the Foundation

Before bringing the concept of the Blue Bus to the national level, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) had already started its operation in Chitwan. This service currently operating in Chitwan is now suspended. According to RSP Chitwan District Chairman Krishna Prasad Bhusal, the bus service running from Shaktikhor in Kalika Municipality to Bharatpur in Chitwan has been temporarily halted due to technical and legal reasons.

'We had been providing this service for about four years. The bus engine had some issues and was kept for maintenance; immediately after that, the election code of conduct was enforced, so we stopped it because running a free service under the party's name was not permissible,' said Bhusal.

This bus, running from Shaktikhor (Kalika Municipality) to Bharatpur, was primarily targeted at women. However, it was also serving other communities equally. 'Our priority is women, but we were also providing free services to the elderly, children, patients going to the hospital, and new mothers,' Bhusal stated. Since this was a completely free service, it provided great relief to the people in the rural areas of Chitwan for their journey to Bharatpur.

Recently, the government introduced a plan in its agenda to operate one 'Blue Bus' in each province. Regarding this, Bhusal said, 'The government has announced to run Blue Buses in all seven provinces. Discussions are ongoing whether to continue this service in Bagmati Province or operate a new bus. In Chitwan, the need and importance of this service remain equally high.'

In Chitwan, this bus was entirely operated through the personal financial contributions of party leaders and cadres, with no investment from the local government. This bus, which incurred an operating cost of 1 to 1.5 lakh rupees per month, provided free travel to women, the elderly, patients, and new mothers. According to Chairman Bhusal, since the government is now taking this concept to the provincial level, the path for making it more systematic and institutionalized will open up.

The Beginning of Public Transport System Improvement

Transport expert and lawmaker Ashish Gajurel argues that the country's development is impossible without extensive reform in the public transport system. He describes the Blue Bus operated by the government as a good model of improved public transportation.

'In many developed countries, including New Delhi in India, there is a practice of providing special concessions or free services in public transport to enhance women's safety and participation,' says Gajurel. 'Only when the safe commuting of women is ensured will their participation in economic activities and employment increase. Many countries are reducing road congestion and supporting economic development by making public transport completely free.'

However, Gajurel expressed strong dissatisfaction with the government's working style and the perspective of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure. He terms the failure of the 'Rapid Bus Service' started in the Kathmandu Valley as a 'deliberately engineered failure.' He said, 'The Rapid Bus was not something that should have failed, but it was made to fail due to a lack of leadership will. It was brought in a hurry to create a mood during the elections, and later no one took responsibility for it.'

He alleges that the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport is focused only on digging roads and awarding contracts, showing no seriousness towards systematizing the transport system.

Blue Bus is Positive If Implemented: Transport Entrepreneurs

Transport entrepreneurs claim that while the government's plan sounds attractive, its implementation is equally challenging. Saroj Sitoula, Acting Chairman of the Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs National Federation, stated that while operating services with free or subsidized fares for women, pregnant women, and senior citizens in all seven provinces is positive, implementation remains challenging.

According to Sitoula, the government had previously launched such services under various attractive names, but all of them faded away prematurely. 'Previously, Rapid Bus, Night Bus, and bus services running only for women were launched with fanfare, but they could not last long,' he said. 'Because the state does not focus on infrastructure construction and effective monitoring, such plans only become media headlines for a few days.'

Sitoula suggested focusing on sustainability, fuel or energy sources, and traffic management before launching any plan. He added, 'It is not enough just to put buses on the road; the economic source and management mechanism to sustain it must be equally strong.'

The Challenge of Electric Vehicles and Sustainability

Both expert lawmaker Gajurel and entrepreneur Saroj Sitoula emphasized that public transport must transition to electric vehicles. The experience of the Blue Bus in Chitwan also showed that the operating cost of fuel-run vehicles is high and they are environmentally unsuitable. One main reason for the monthly expense of up to 1.5 lakh rupees in Chitwan was that the bus ran on diesel.

The suggestion is that the 25 buses the government plans to launch within the next 100 days should be electric, and necessary charging stations and 'priority lanes' should be arranged for them. If the government only adds a few buses in the old manner for publicity, this plan risks being added to the list of past failed attempts.

Conclusion: Willpower or Just Publicity?

The government's 'Blue Bus' plan can be a great relief for women, pregnant women, and senior citizens. The RSP's effort in Chitwan has already confirmed the demand and popularity of this service. However, as transport entrepreneur Sitoula mentioned, a lack of monitoring and infrastructure, and the contract-focused mindset of the ministry, as pointed out by expert Gajurel, could leave this stranded again.

For the government to fulfill its promise of operating 25 buses within 100 days, merely purchasing vehicles is not enough. It requires the establishment of a strong management board, a sustainable economic source, and a mechanism to guarantee women's safety on major roads across the country.