Delhi-Kathmandu bus service resumes after a year and a half – here are details on fare, route and timings
The Delhi-Kathmandu bus service resumed on Wednesday after a hiatus of over a year and a half. The bus service connecting the capital cities of neighbours India and Nepal was suspended at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
The bus carrying passengers departed from Dr Ambedkar Stadium Terminal at Delhi Gate here. Officials said while the bus service will be operated on the previous pattern; however, it will now be ensured that the prevalent Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines on COVID-19 are followed.
Earlier on Monday, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) had issued a notification stating that the Delhi-Kathmandu bus service, also known as the Maitri Bus Sewa, will resume operations at 10 am on December 15.
DTC Deputy Chief General Manager (PR) RS Minhas said the state transport firm has collaborated with Skyline India (Motors) Pvt Ltd for the service.
“The latest COVID-19 protocols/guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) are to be followed in true spirit in all conditions,” the notification read.
The bus service was first started in November 2014. Its operations were halted on March 23, 2020, when India began shutting down at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
A senior DTC official was quoted as saying that the passengers will have to compulsorily carry a certificate of both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. They are also supposed to carry a negative RT-PCR test report obtained within the last 72 hours of the start of the journey.
The official said if any passenger fails to furnish the required documents, he/she will not be allowed to board the bus.
The Delhi-Kathmandu bus service covers a distance of 1,167 kms between the two capital cities. It makes halts at Firozabad and Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh and Mugling in Nepal.
The fare for the bus service used to be Rs 2,300 earlier which has now been increased to around Rs 2,800.
The bus leaves Delhi every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and the return journeys begin from Kathmandu every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Customs checking is carried out at Sonauli at the India-Nepal border.
