Construction of the new bus park in Bandevi, ward 5 of Tansen Municipality, has reached just 57 percent, despite the approaching extended deadline. The Swayambhu–Red Earth–Hamal JV, awarded the contract, has completed 43 percent of the first phase financially.

The first phase of the new bus park was contracted on April 20, 2023, with a 22-month completion target set for December 21, 2024. Ram Prasad Shrestha, an engineer at Tansen Municipality, said that even a year past the original deadline, only 57 percent of the physical work has been completed.

Under the extended deadline, the construction company was expected to complete the first phase by November 16, 2025, but progress remains at 57 percent.

Tansen Municipality said delays occurred because the contractor did not accelerate work during the first year of the agreement. Early slowdowns, citing various excuses, set the project behind schedule. The municipality planned the bus park on 4.98 hectares in Bandevi along the Tansen–Ridi road, with 70 percent of funding from a Town Development Fund.

Engineer Shiva Sharma of the municipality said delays were caused by the contractor taking time to prepare designs and materials. The work fell behind because it did not align with the consultant’s design. “Initial corrections to the master plan caused delays and required extending the deadline,” he said. “At present, nothing is blocking the contractor from continuing work.”

Locals allege that weak supervision allowed the contractor to delay work. Ward chair Ram Bahadur Rawal and residents submitted a memorandum urging Tansen Municipality to speed up the project. Municipal chief Santosh Lal Shrestha said the work, though delayed, is expected to accelerate. With the same contractor handling both design and construction, he added, initial delays are likely to be overcome.

The municipality said the first phase involved significant technical work, slowing construction. The contractor stated that design and material production are now complete. According to engineer Sharma, much of the first phase was spent on design and preparing materials.

The municipality claims to make the bus park the most advanced one in the entire Lumbinin Province. Construction is funded with 70 percent loan support from the Municipal Development Fund and 30 percent from the municipal government. The detailed project report puts the total cost at Rs480 million across two phases. The first phase was estimated at Rs203.5 million but finalised at Rs181.3 million.

Work is currently focused on a reinforced retaining (RE) wall using advanced technology, prefabricated in Manigram, Rupandehi, and transported to Tansen. Engineer Shrestha said the first phase will include an 18-bus terminal, three commercial sheds, a public toilet, an administrative building, and a park.

The second phase will feature a structured bus park with a petrol station, auto village, and supermarket, modelled on Kathmandu’s New Bus Park. The project will also provide parking for small and large vehicles, maintenance garages, passenger assistance centres, and offices for transport companies.

The current bus park in Tansen, built 42 years ago, is narrow. The new park, located two kilometres from the old site, has been in planning for years. In 2002, World Bank support was offered, but land disputes delayed the project. A total of 1,272 small and 20 large trees were cut for the construction; the municipality said each removed tree requires planting 25 new trees and transferring land to the government. Parking for buses, jeeps, and trucks in Tansen remains disorganised at present.