KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 2

Tourists bus service providers have decided to offer e-ticketing services to their passengers.

Aiming to provide convenient ticketing service to passengers, Tourist Bus Association of Nepal (TIBAN) has signed an agreement with Electronic Concern and Research Centre (ECRC) Pvt Ltd to sell all tickets of tourist buses via online platform.

Amid an event organised on Thursday, TIBAN President Ishwor Prasad Upadhyaya and ECRC Pvt Ltd President Sanjit Poudel had signed an agreement to that effect.

To address the COVID-19 situation in the country, TIBAN and ECRC have signed this agreement so that passengers can book their bus tickets from the convenience of their homes.

“Along with the online ticketing service, I would like to assure that the public vehicle services under our association will strictly follow all the health safety protocols prepared by the government,” said TIBAN President Upadhyaya.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all sectors have adopted digital platform to continue their activity.

Thus, there was no option for TIBAN than to offer online ticketing, said ECRC President Poudel.

“Due to the COVID-19, every sector in the country is working via online platform. In this scenario, we have signed this agreement to provide convenient service to passengers,” Poudel said.

The e-ticketing service will be valid for all destinations across the country and will come into operation within a few days targeting the festive season.

In the initial phase, the tourist bus services will be operated from Kathmandu to destinations like Pokhara, Narayanghat, Lumbini and Janakpur.

Later on, other destinations will be operated gradually before Dashain.

The government had allowed longhaul public vehicles to operate starting from September 17 after a sixmonth-long restriction. However, the long-haul public vehicles are waiting for the passengers. Public vehicle operators have stated that people are afraid of travelling due to COVID-19 and thus the number of passengers have declined drastically this year.

Around two million passengers had travelled out of the valley for the festive season last year.