Although the provincial government had planned to run government bus services in all nine districts of the Sudurpaschim Province in the running fiscal year, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development has been able to implement the plan so far.

The government had allocated Rs 200 million for the project, but since the allocated budget remains unutilised, the amount is set to freeze.

According to Pathan Singh Bohara, the minister for Physical Infrastructure Development, the ministry had planned to run government funded buses on the roads of the Far West within this fiscal year. Bohara, however, admitted that nine months into the current fiscal year, the provincial government has been unable to formulate a guideline to conduct the bus service.

“We couldn’t find an institution or organisation capable enough to prepare a study report of the plan. We recently found an institution from Kathmandu; they are now here to conduct the study,” said Bohara. “We will determine the model of transportation after the institution submits the report. The guideline will be made in accordance to the study report.”

The ministry plans to conduct the bus services under a public-private partnership model. Prem Datta Bhatta, an engineer of the Physical Infrastructure Development Directorate, termed this project as the pilot project in the country.  

“The chances of running these buses by this fiscal are slim,” said Bhatta.

The provincial government needs to form a Department of Transportation at the provincial level.

According to Bhatta, they can only expect to prepare the study report in the remaining three months of the current fiscal.

“It would be unwise to purchase the buses without a proper study. The research, study and procurement processes will take a long time,” said Bhatta.