Kathmandu, August 22:

Assistant Minister for Labour and Transport Management Golchhe Sarki today launched the hospital-to-hospital service of the Sajha Yatayat in the Valley. Speaking on the occasion, Sarki urged transport entrepreneurs to serve the general public and ensure fair competition among themselves. He also assured his help to Sajha. Executive director of the Sajha Yatayat Mukunda Raj Satyal said it was just the continuation of the previous service that was stalled with the fall of the government transport body a few years ago. “We will keep on expanding our service as per the demand of the public,” he said.

Sajha Yatayat will use some 10 buses owned by the Valley Swoyambhu Bus Service Committee to run on the route linking Patan Hospital with Shahid Gangalal Hospital. The fares of the newly launched service range from six to eight rupees. Satyal said a stretcher has been managed in each bus that runs along the Patan-Tripureswor-Bir Hospital-Teaching Hospital route. The committee has recently added 11 more buses on the Ring Road route. It operates 30 buses using the logo of Sajha Yatayat. The Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, however, has been opposing the Sajha’s move saying the government body should use its own buses rather than lending its logo to other private companies.