July 23: The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport is preparing to issue tender process to purchase electric buses.

Earlier, the ministry had scrapped with Sajha Yatayat for the purchase and issued a public notice to bus manufacturers and distributors to submit details of battery operated electric bus by June end.

According to the ministry, among the 41 companies that have submitted the specifications of electric bus, most are Chinese companies and five of them are Indian companies. As per the specifications provided by those companies, the process for the tender of electric bus is being initiated.

The government had decided to buy 300 electric buses in December 2018 through a cabinet meeting. The government had also announced to operate electric buses in Kathmandu from April 2019 and the responsibility of purchasing the buses was given to Sajha Yatayat in mid July 2019. In addition, Rs 3 billion was also disbursed.

However, within the three months, the ministry issued a notice to Sajha to stop the purchase of the buses stating that it could not purchase the bus within the stipulated time and as per the criteria set by the government. In February 2020, the responsibility was given to the ministry.

Since then, the ministry has been working to issue tender bids for 300 buses at a time. However, the process was halted due to a nationwide lockdown to control the coronavirus infection.