KATHMANDU: Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Bimalendra Nidhi has shared that the direct vehicular movement will operate within Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) from September 18.

Minister Nidhi said so while addressing mediapersons today at the Tribhuvan International Airport upon his arrival from Thimpu, Bhutan where he, together with the Transport Ministers from India, Bangladesh and Bhutan, signed the BBIN Motor Vehicle Pact on Monday.

Minister Nidhi informed that all the bilateral agreements among the BBIN countries for implementation of the newly inked pact will be made by mid-September so that regulation of passenger and cargo vehicular traffic amongst the four SAARC countries would come into effect from September 18.

Nepal and India, however, have already signed the Motor Vehicle Agreement during the 18th SAARC Summit held in Kathmandu last November.

Nidhi further shared that the Pact will not only help facilitate seamless and unhindered transport between the BBIN countries, but also help in promotion of economic development and tourism of these countries.

"The pact has paved a new way for overall development of these countries," he argued.

Not only that, the Minister also expressed his confidence that the pact will ease transporting construction materials from the third countries to Nepal for reconstruction and resettlement of the quake-survivors.

The other BBIN countries were also learnt to have acknowledged the newly sealed 'historic' and 'milestone' agreement, said Nidhi.

During the ministerial-meeting in Thimpu, Nidhi also has a meeting with the Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck who expressed his sadness over the loss caused by the April 25 quake and showed his willingness to help reconstruction for the quake-survivors.