Sajha Yatayat has brought a semi-low-floor bus especially for the people with disabilities. Sajha Yatayat has brought the Ashok Leyland bus with assistance of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC).
"The bus will come into operation after technical checking, registration process and route permit," said Acting Chief Executive Officer of Sajha Yatayat Mahendra Pandey.
"This bus is chiefly for people with disabilities. We are thinking of operating the vehicles on the hospital routes," Pandey informed Setopati. He further said that the routes including Lagankhel-Tripureshwor and Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital-Bansbari will be the suitable for the operation of the bus as these routes have very few potholes which would make operation of the bus easier.
Sajha Yatayat said that the bus has only one step as compared to other ordinary buses that have two to three steps to get into the bus. If required, the only step can be also unfolded to let the wheelchair into the bus.
Operator's Committee member of Sajha Yatayat Bhushan Tuladhar said more semi-low-floor buses cannot be brought at the same time as it is comparatively expensive and has a low ground clearance that poses a difficulty in checking whether the streets are appropriate for such buses.
"The vehicle costs more than Rs 10 million but Ashok Leyland has provided it at just Rs 3.50 million," he said, "Such vehicles should ply on Jorpati routes but the state of roads there does not seem suitable."
The 12-meter bus with 41 seats is completely different from other buses and is also passenger friendly. Another chief feature of the vehicle is driver announcement system that will inform passengers about the location. The bus is also equipped with camera and display, among other facilities.
Photo: Narayan Maharjan
