Coaches come to the rescue of travellers caught between costly airfares, rickety buses
KATHMANDU, OCT 07 -With the common complaints of Dashain travellers being that airfares are too expensive and normal bus services too erratic, the presence of a few hundred deluxe buses are filling the void for those wanting to make their journey both budget friendly and comfortable.
Although such bus services are not widely available, they are available on long travel routes, particularly to eastern Nepal. In just five years, such services give an alternative to the often erratic and uncomfortable bus services dominating the road transport sector.
The deluxe bus service has become the best road transport service for Priyanka Raut from Dharan, and Prajita Adhikari of Biratnagar, who have been in the capital for their nursing studies. “Since it costs over Rs 6,000 for a Kathmandu-Biratnagar flight, the deluxe bus is the best service for customers like us,” said Raut, who was heading to Dharan for Dashain .
Her friend Adhikari agreed that the main attraction of the deluxe and air conditioned vehicles was the comfortable folding seats having enough leg space. “Some operators even offer you snacks besides water, and some provide facilities for mobile recharging.”
As per the criteria set by the government, a deluxe bus must contain facilities such as a fan, light, comfortable 2x2 folding seat, additional leg space, first aid kit, drinking water, newspapers and audio and video facilities for entertainment.
Some operators even claim to provide Wi-Fi service during the travel period. Based on the criteria and facilities they offer, the government has allowed deluxe bus operators to charge 20 percent extra on the fare set by it, according to the Department of Transport Management. Similarly, if the vehicle is air conditioned, transporters can charge up to an additional 40 percent per ticket. Normal buses have 40-42 seats, while deluxe buses accommodate only 31 seats.
Normally, there are two types of deluxe buses—one has a Nepal-made body and the other has an India-made body. It is estimated that a new deluxe bus made in India costs Rs 9-10 million, while those buses with the body made in Nepal after importing the chassis costs Rs 4-7 million, according to transport entrepreneurs. The transport department estimates that luxury public transport vehicles have investments of over Rs 3 billion from transport entrepreneurs.
“Demand for deluxe services is increasing, and so is the competition among transport entrepreneurs,” said Yogendra Karmacharya, president of the Federation of National Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs Associations. He said that it would not be surprising if, in a few years, the deluxe service replaces normal transport on long routes. As per department officials, it has just been five years since the appeal of deluxe buses increased among travellers, which is an upgrade from the so called “video coach” that ultimately pushed transport entrepreneurs to invest in such vehicles.
So far, around 300 deluxe and air conditioned buses have received permits for day and night operation, with most of them serving routes from Kathmandu to the eastern part of Nepal. “Last year, 80 units of Euro III standard deluxe buses received our approval for operation on different routes,” said Mohan Bhattarai, mechanical engineer at the department. He added that with Dashain being the main business season, transport entrepreneurs add new buses to their fleets during this time each year.
Deluxe buses are in operation on routes from Kathmandu to Kakkarbhitta, Dharan, Biratnagar, Pashupatinagar, Rajbiraj, Itahari, Janakpur, Birgunj and Bhairahawa, to name a few. However, the deluxe service is yet to flourish on routes to the western part of the country. A majority of night buses that are currently in operation on routes from Kathmandu to the eastern part of the country are deluxe buses, according to transport entrepreneurs.
Companies like Meteri, Makalu, Agni, Sajilo, Metro, New Koshi Super Yatayat, Ugrachandi, Jwala and Indra Baraha are operating air conditioned and deluxe buses. Santosh Puri, ticketing in-charge of New Koshi Super Yatayat said that there was stiff competition among transporters to provide deluxe services, and that it was hard to find passengers in the off season.
“During the off season, transporters issue tickets below Rs 1,000 even if the government allows them to collect Rs 1,200 for the Kathmandu-Dharan route,” he added. The government fixed fare for the route is Rs 1,024.
As demand for deluxe services is growing, there is a trend of normal long route buses claiming to be “deluxe”, with customers complaining about transporters charging higher fares for non-deluxe buses under the name of a luxurious deluxe service. “The government must keep a close eye on such ill practices by transporters so that the credibility of deluxe and air conditioned bus services does not erode,” said traveller Adhikari.
Higher charges, less facilities than assured and no fixed terminal for catching the buses are some of the common problems. As it is the peak season for the transportation business, many luxury public vehicles are found picking up passengers and leaving for destinations from junctions such as New Bus Park, Koteshwor and Kalanki.
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