POKHARA: Direct bus service from Pokhara to New Delhi in India has started from Monday.

The bus service is a joint initiative of the Modern Era Tours and Travels Pvt Ltd of Nepal and Uttar Pradesh Parivahan Nigam, Ghaziabad depot, of India.

Home minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet from Nepal and Indian Ambassador for Nepal Ranjit Rae jointly inaugurated the service at a special function in the Lake City today.

Altogether eight deluxe buses, four from each side, have started the operation.

Nepal's the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 had signed an agreement to launch such joint bus services.

The bus fare has been fixed at NRs 3,500 (IRs 2,200), informed Keshav Adhikari at the Pokhara-based travel company.