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Luxury buses dominate East-West highway route
Old passenger buses plying the East-West Highway have become a rare sight nowadays as the highway is mostly dominated by brand new luxury buses. From long-haul to short routes, luxury buses that offer fold-out seats, greater speeds and comfort have dominated the roads in the eastern region.Old passenger buses plying the East-West Highway have become a rare sight nowadays as the highway is mostly dominated by brand new luxury buses. From long-haul to short routes, luxury buses that offer fold-out seats, greater speeds and comfort have dominated the roads in the eastern region.
As demand for luxury passenger vehicles continues to grow, transport entrepreneurs in the eastern region have been adding more and more modern buses. This has increased competition and companies have been offering a wide range of services to attract passengers.
“Old players with their less modern buses are giving their vehicles a fresh coat of paint in the hopes of attracting passengers. But it does not seem to work,” said Binod Adhikari, a transport entrepreneur. “When it comes to travel, luxury buses have become the traveller’s first choice.”
Bus companies like Sagarmatha, Nagarik, Dolphin, Suryadaya, Him Sikhar including a dozen of luxury bus operators have entered the market in the eastern region and have been providing standard services.
Many buses operated by these companies have installed CCTV cameras for passenger’s safety.
These buses feature a wide assortment of entertainment options from LED TVs, ACs and Wifi. They are also starting to allocate special seats for differently-abled people, women and old people. For elderly and differently-abled people, bus operators have been providing 50 percent discount on ticket prices while students are offered 45 percent discount, said Khagendra Upreti, president of Sagarmatha Transport, a newly-established company in Jhapa. Besides modern amenities, luxury buses are also punctual.
“Buses travelling to Biratnagar and Dharan are punctual,” said another transport entrepreneur Khem Raj Upreti. Similarly, buses have been providing information of each and every stop and destination to their passengers. This service would help passengers who are not familiar with the route.
According to Transport Management Office, Mechi, in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, 112 new buses of different companies have been registered. Most of them are luxury and smart buses. The office said that since last few years, registration of luxury buses in the eastern region has increased notable due to the rising demand for comfort and safety.