The government has decided to purchase 300 electric buses in an apparent bid to provide respite to the Kathmandu denizens who are forced to breathe toxic air.

A Cabinet meeting held this week decided that the government will buy 300 electric buses with its own investment, said government’s spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Gokul Prasad Baskota at a press meet on Thursday. He said the government has given priority to import big vehicles as per the policy to promote electric transport.

Environmentalists have long been urging the government to give priority for electric vehicles.

“Electric vehicles have been given priority to minimise pollution,” said Baskota. Emissions from the increasing number of vehicles are responsible for deteriorating the air quality in the Valley.

Saying that the levels of air pollution in Kathmandu Valley have been increasing rapidly due to old vehicles, the environmentalists have been urging the government to use environment-friendly big vehicles.

The meeting has also approved a concept letter related to the management of public vehicles presented by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.

The government has decided to recommend chief of protocal at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deepak Adhikari for the post of ambassador to France.

The government has also decided to recommend ministry’s joint general secretaries Ganesh Prasad Dhakal as the ambassador to Thailand, Mani Prasad Bhattarai as the permanent representative of Nepal to United Nations, and Durga Prasad Bhandari as the ambassador to Kuwait, Baskota said.