A direct bus service has been launched from Siliguri in West Bengal, India, to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, from Wednesday. Urban Paribahan Service Pvt. Ltd. has started Nepal-India bus service from vehicles with Indian number plates under the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC), a government bus service provider of the Government of West Bengal. West Bengal Transport Minister Firhad Hakim inaugurated the bus service on Wednesday.

The bus number WB25K2949 of Greenline Company has started direct bus service between Nepal and India. Many Indians have jobs and businesses in Kathmandu. It is said that the bus service has been started as per the Nepal-India friendly service agreement signed between Nepal and India in 2014. During the visit of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to Nepal in 2014, an agreement to operate direct bus service from major cities of Nepal and India to establish direct relations between the people of the two countries was signed.

Earlier, Nepali number plate vehicles have been providing continuous service under the Nepal-India friendly bus service. Vehicles with Indian number plates have started service from Wednesday, said Uday Kumar Shrestha, president of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents NATA, Province No. 1.

The bus driver, co-driver, operator and passengers of the bus that reached Kankarvitta from Siliguri, India on Wednesday afternoon were welcomed by industrialists, police, people's representatives, hoteliers and journalists. On the occasion, the Nepal Traffic Police informed the Indian drivers and co-drivers about Nepal's traffic rules.

On the occasion, Ward Chairman of Mechinagar Municipality, Ward No. 6, Lalit Kumar Tamang expressed confidence that religious tourism and business of both the countries would increase after the launch of the friendly bus service between the two countries.

Source: The Rising Nepal