Initially, two buses will be operated on the Nagdhunga-Tribhuvan Airport route, and additional buses will be operated in the Lagankhel-Budhanilkantha and Ring Road areas. CCTV will be installed in 3,000 public vehicles.
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The government's announcement to launch free 'Blue Bus' services in all seven provinces to ensure safe travel for women will be implemented only from Shrawan. In the first phase, there is a plan to operate eight 'Blue Buses' within the Kathmandu Valley.
The government had made public the '100 Action List on Government Reforms' on 13 Chaitra 2082, focusing on good governance and service delivery reforms. In which women's safety, burn treatment and safe public transport have been prioritized.
The government had set a target to launch at least 25 free 'Blue Buses' in the first phase within 100 days. The government has assigned the responsibility to the Department of Transport Management and Sajha Yatayat for this.
'It will now be operational from Shrawan,' said Sajha's Executive Director Bhupendra Aryal, 'The study has taken a little time as there are some technical and practical ambiguities.' He said that since the government had said that such buses would be operated only for women, it took time to prepare the corresponding working procedures.
According to Aryal, there is a plan to operate eight 'Blue Buses' within the Kathmandu Valley in the first phase from Shrawan. Initially, two buses will be operated on the Nagdhunga-Tribhuvan International Airport route, another route will be operated on the Lagankhel-Budhanilakantha and Ring Road areas, and the routes of the remaining buses have also been arranged, he said. He said, 'Now we will start the service after receiving final approval from the Ministry of Finance.'
Mentioning that some practical issues are still being discussed, Aryal said, 'If an elderly person has a son or grandson, the issue of whether or not to allow them to board the Blue Bus is still under discussion.'
Saroj Sitaula, President of the National Federation of Transport Entrepreneurs, said that the government cannot implement the 'Blue Bus' operation plan due to practical difficulties. He alleged that the government brought this plan only for discussion. He said, ‘Even if the government immediately puts it into operation for testing, it will not be sustainable.’
‘CCTV’ installed in 3,300 public vehicles
Although the government announced to make ‘CCTV’, ‘dashcam’ and ‘SOS button’ in vehicles within 30 days to prevent gender-based violence in public transport, the work has not been fully implemented. Naresh Raj Subedi, Superintendent of Police of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, said that CCTV has not been installed in all vehicles.
According to him, CCTV has been installed in only 3,303 public vehicles so far. He also informed that there is no exact data on how many vehicles are yet to be installed with CCTV as the traffic police does not have data on public vehicles. ‘However, after the installation of CCTV, it has significantly helped in investigating disputes, gender-based violence, pickpocketing and accidents in public vehicles, and there is a plan to do this gradually,’ Subedi said.
