Government Plans to Deploy Lumbini's Electric Buses to Various Airports

Butwal. The government has initiated preparations to operate five electric buses, originally brought for Lumbini, at various airports across the country. However, a clear operational model for these buses at the Gautam Buddha International Airport remains undecided.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation decided a few months ago to hand over responsibility to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal after the Lumbini Development Trust failed to operate the buses. However, that decision has not been effectively implemented.

The buses were operated in Lumbini for only two days. On Chaitra 18 and 19, two buses were run on the Belahiya-Lumbini and Lumbini-Tilaurakot routes. Subsequently, on Chaitra 20, the Lumbini Development Trust handed over all five buses to the Civil Aviation Authority in Bhairahawa.

According to Deepak Shrestha, Member Secretary of the Lumbini Development Trust, the decision was implemented following the ministry's directive. He stated that this decision was made during the tenure of the previous Tourism Minister. Binod Raut, Information Officer at Gautam Buddha Airport, confirmed that the buses are currently being kept safely. However, he noted that a clear plan for maintenance, operation, and management has yet to be received from the ministry.

He indicated that the buses' batteries, air conditioning, and other equipment require maintenance, which will necessitate additional budget.

Preliminary decisions have been made to operate one bus each at Pokhara International Airport, Dhangadhi Airport, Nepalgunj Airport, and Surkhet Airport. However, no decision has been made for Bhairahawa yet.

About six years ago, five state-of-the-art buses and 14 vans were brought under a grant from the Asian Development Bank with the aim of making Lumbini pollution-free. Although two buses were put into operation last week under the direction of the Prime Minister's Office, they were shut down within two days and handed over to the airport, sparking dissatisfaction among locals.

Ram Bikash Chaudhary, co-coordinator of the Lumbini Bachau Mahabhiyan, has accused the Development Trust of incompetence, claiming that repeated demands to operate the buses were ignored.

Most of these vehicles, valued at approximately 130 million rupees, have been damaged due to being left out in the sun and rain for a long time. According to a Trust official, it is estimated that about 10 million rupees will be required just for repairs.

Preparations to operate vans after sending buses to airports

Five electric buses and 14 electric vans were brought at a cost of about 130 million rupees under the 'Clean Energy Project' for the development of Lumbini about five years ago. With the electric buses brought for the Lumbini area being sent elsewhere, the Lumbini Development Trust is now preparing to operate the vans.

The vehicles, which arrived in Mangsir-Poush 2077, were formally registered under the Trust only in Jestha 2079. It took a long time to convert them from white plates to green plates. It is said that the process moved forward only after the Lumbini Bachau Mahabhiyan filed a case in court for the implementation of green plates.

Currently, the buses are kept at the Gautam Buddha International Airport, while the vans are in Lumbini. Some vans were previously used by Trust officials and staff, but for the past two days, all vans have been kept at the charging station.

According to Deepak Shrestha, Member Secretary of the Lumbini Development Trust, only the buses have been sent to the airport so far, and no concrete decision has come from the ministry regarding the operation of the vans. However, he mentioned that the Trust is preparing to bring the vans into operation soon. According to him, the vans will be operated in the Lumbini circuit area with a fixed schedule. Plans regarding fare rates and schedules are being drafted, and preparations are underway to bring them into operation after creating a working procedure soon.

These vehicles were brought with the aim of connecting Lumbini with Buddhist sites such as Tilaurakot, Ramagram, and Devdaha. However, local tourism entrepreneurs and stakeholders appear skeptical of the Trust's plan. Ram Bikash Chaudhary, co-coordinator of the Lumbini Bachau Mahabhiyan, alleged that the buses were sent elsewhere due to the negligence of the Development Trust and claimed that the plan to operate the vans would also be limited to mere assurances.