India-Nepal friendship bus service resumes

The bus will leave Siliguri thrice a week at 3 pm and reach Kathmandu via Kakkarvitta-Panitanki "Indo-Nepal" border the next day around 11 am. The bus has Wi-Fi facility and the fare is Rs 1,500 in Indian currency.

It was flagged off on August 26, 2019, by the Minister for Transport Management of Nepal, the Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Manjeev Singh Puri and staff of the private bus company.

Talking to ANI, Secretary, Siliguri Bus Owners Welfare Association, Santosh Saha said that it is a matter of pleasure for both the countries that the bus services have resumed after a gap of one and a half years.

"It is a matter of pleasure for both the countries because, after a long gap of almost one and a half years, the bus services have resumed. We have got permission to run the buses. Buses from Nepal have resumed. Service from the Indian side is yet to start and is under process," he said.

Talking about the problems faced by the tourism sector, the secretary said that the tourism services were hit hard in these months.

"Tourism was hit hard. We have been facing problems, but we have hope that the coming days are going to be good for tourism," he said.

Saha further hoped that the resumption of the bus services will strengthen the bond between the two countries even further.

"The bus services must be continued. You can improve the services. People will decide to travel with these services. It would improve the people to people relations. Our governments already share a good relation. People to people ties are most important," a bus passenger told ANI.