Investments in the transportation sector in Palpa district have exceeded Rs1 billion. After the launch of the Shreenagar Transportation Entrepreneurs Committee, the sector has become competitive and attracted more capital.

The committee entered the transportation sector in 1998 with a fleet of five jeeps. Currently, the company owns 562 vehicles of different types. According to Dil Bahadur Dhungana, president of the committee, they made an initial investment of Rs10 million.

“We are continuously increasing our capital,” Dhungana said. The company now operates jeeps, micro buses, mini buses and deluxe buses on several routes including Kathmandu and neighbouring districts.

“The success we have achieved since we started almost two decades ago has exceeded our expectations. This has motivated us,” Dhungana said, recalling that the committee had started jeep service from Tansen to Mison and Bartung. According to him, a free and competitive market in Palpa has not just helped entrepreneurs like him but also made life easier for locals. The investment climate in the sector too is improving, according to Dhungana. The committee operates deluxe buses costing Rs6.5 million each on the Palpa-Kathmandu route.

According to Jagat Baral, the committee’s general secretary, turnover amounted to Rs25.22 million last year. The committee plans to partner with rival operators to enhance service quality and provide better facilities to travellers. The committee has stated it will increase third party insurance to Rs125,000.  

The Shreenagar Transportation Entrepreneurs Committee has also played a crucial role in breaking up the syndicate system in the region. The routes on which Shreenagar operates are also served by Western Nepal, another transportation company. But this has not hindered Shreenagar’s business as it possesses an adequate number of vehicles.

With the sector becoming competitive, the committee has developed new strategies to stay in the game. According to Bhabindra Gautam, office secretary of the committee, they are working on phasing out 20-year-old vehicles.

The company has arranged accident insurance worth Rs300,000 per person to boost the morale of employees and vehicle owners. Similarly, vehicle owners, drivers and other employees receive Rs20,000 as medical allowance each year. “We also plan to conduct training classes for drivers and their helpers,” Gautam said.

In the near future, the Shreenagar Transportation Entrepreneurs Committee plans to expand its fleet and extend its routes to Pokhara and Dang.