KATHMANDU, NOV 29 - With fares collected from the ever thinning night passengers failing to cover its operational costs, the once much-talked-about night bus serivce in the Capital has met an untimely death.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) had brought the service into operation on Nepali New Year in 2012 with a view to serving people who worked late nights in restaurants, hotels and bars in the city.
The venture plunged into a financial crisis right after its inauguration. Though the service kicked off with 14 vehicles initially, the number soon went down to two.
The service met a complete end just two weeks ago. "The service has now been stopped and we are exporling other options," Department Chief of the KMC Shanta Ram Pokhrel said.
In the absence of public transport facilities, people working after 11pm had been facing problems going home, while the only option they had was the expensive taxis.
According to a deal before starting the service, the KMC would financially support the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs (NFNTE) for six months of the beginning of the service, while the NFNTE would be solely responsible for the operations.
"We are trying to find out from them (NFNTE) what losses they incurred and how much," said Pokhrel.
According to the operators, the monthly operating cost of a bus came close to Rs 51,000, while it had been making a mere Rs 15,000 to Rs 22,000 a month.
Each night bus that plied in Kathmandu and Lalitpur had one policeman in it, while CCTV cameras had been fitted inside for security reasons.
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