Kathmandu, August 20
The KTM Public Transport mobile application has been launched to help passengers track public vehicles operating in Kathmandu Valley and check how long a vehicle will take to reach their location.
Sunita Dangol, acting mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City and chairperson of the Federal Capital Urban Area Public Transport Council, launched the app at the council’s third meeting on Wednesday.
The application currently provides information on around 1,200 GPS-equipped public vehicles, with plans to expand the system to cover more vehicles.
Dangol said public transport in the Valley should be made simpler, more accessible and convenient. She stressed the need to expand night-time services and operate buses from early morning to accommodate students travelling to schools and colleges.
“Public transport is not an issue that can be confined to a single municipality. Since it connects different municipalities, it is a shared issue,” she said, calling for greater coordination among local governments.
The council has also approved programs to determine bus stops and pick-and-drop points, introduce night bus services, install GPS-based public transport information systems at major bus stops and bus parks, and prepare a legal framework for cashless fares.
The council also plans campaigns to encourage passengers to obtain tickets and studies aimed at improving public transport services.
The council has 35 members and a nine-member steering committee to streamline its decision-making process.
