Night ride (Govt can’t afford to let the night bus service go the way of the Trolley bus)

(Ekantipur Editorial) When the night bus service was first unveiled in Kathmandu last August, long-suffering Valley denizens welcomed the government’s offering with open arms. The 14 night buses, plying on a regular schedule along six routes, brought relief to many weary citizens whose work mandates long hours. With the presence of a policeman and CCTV cameras in each of the buses, as of yet, there have been no untoward incidents. Public night buses also meant that passengers did not need to rely anymore on excruciatingly expensive taxis, whose rates double after 9pm. Worryingly, this popular service might not be running for much longer. Transport operators claim that running costs are too high and earnings too low. According to the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs, while one night bus requires Rs 51,000 for a month’s operation, they have only been making back between Rs 15,000 and Rs 22,000. Faced with such heavy losses, night bus operators are threatening to shut down the service in a few months time.

Since the bygone days of the Sajha Yatayat and the Trolley bus, the night bus service was the government’s most recent foray into a somewhat managed public transport. For a burgeoning metropolis, Kathmandu lacks an efficient, coordinated public transport network. The private buses, microbuses and tempos that current ply the streets are unmanaged, erratic and chaotic at best. There are no proper schedules, routes or designated stops. As a result, most Valley residents opt for a motorcyle or a car as soon as they can afford it. In an already congested city, this means more and more vehicles on narrow streets, along with an ever-increasing drain on the public treasury due to fuel imports. Not to forget, more vehicles lead to a worsening environment and an increase in pollution.

The benefits of a proper public transport system for a city are huge, which is why the night bus service should be continued. The Sajha Yatayat, another public transport initiative which has lain dormant for the last four years, will once again be on the streets from mid-February, another welcome addition. This is a commendable initiative but it needs to be sustainable. For, just six months after its inception, the night buses are already about to go bankrupt. The government had made promises to promote the service and financially support the night bus operators, and now needs to live up to them. Through subsidies, policies and other supplementary measures such as establishing night markets around bus stops, it needs to buttress this service before it goes the way of the Trolley bus. There need to be more widespread publicity campaigns displaying schedules and routes, as was planned initially. Increasing fares by a nominal amount is also a good idea as even the increased rates will be a pittance compared to night taxi charges. The benefits of public transport cannot be overstated and in just six months, the night bus service has become an integral part of that initiative.