KATHMANDU: Public transport users in Kathmandu Valley can now track buses in real time and check how long a vehicle will take to reach their location through the newly launched KTM Public Transport mobile application.

The application was launched by Sunita Dangol, acting mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City and chairperson of the Federal Capital Urban Area Public Transport Council, during the council’s third meeting.

The app currently provides information on around 1,200 public vehicles equipped with GPS tracking systems. The authority plans to gradually expand the number of vehicles covered by the system.

Speaking at the meeting, Dangol said public transport in the Valley needs to become simpler, more accessible and passenger-friendly, while night services should also be expanded.

She said public transport should operate from early morning to serve students travelling to schools and colleges, requiring financial and operational cooperation among local governments.

“Public transport cannot be confined within the boundary of a single local government. Since it connects municipalities, it is a shared issue that requires coordination and uniformity in programmes and services,” Dangol said.

Council vice-chair and Lalitpur Metropolitan City Mayor Chiribabu Maharjan said passengers should be able to feel a tangible improvement when using public buses.

“The council has the capacity to transform the public transport system. Let us use that capacity,” Maharjan said.

Council Chief Executive Officer Kuber Nepali said the authority had previously struggled to move forward because of a lack of common understanding among different levels of government regarding its jurisdiction.

He said programmes proposed for the current fiscal year were now being advanced following the government’s decision to restructure the authority.

The council has approved several programmes for the current fiscal year, including determining bus stops and pick-and-drop points, preparing operating conditions and contract models for night buses, and beginning cooperation with municipalities.

It has also approved plans to install public transport information systems at major bus stops and bus parks, including GPS-based tracking, in partnership with local governments. Preparations will also begin to establish the legal framework for cashless fare payments.

The council plans to launch campaigns encouraging passengers to obtain tickets and conduct studies and research on improving public transport services.

The meeting also discussed cooperation among municipalities and the operation of public transport services targeting heritage and tourism areas in the Valley.

The Federal Capital Urban Area Public Transport Council was established under the Urban Area Public Transport (Management) Authority Act, 2022 (2079 BS). The legislation provides for the establishment of public transport authorities to manage services operating across one or more municipalities, with a separate authority for the federal capital.

The federal capital authority is responsible for regulating and managing public transport services in Kathmandu Valley. The council oversees the operation and management of the authority, with the Kathmandu Metropolitan City mayor serving as chair and the Lalitpur Metropolitan City mayor as vice-chair.

The authority’s responsibilities include preparing short- and long-term public transport policies, plans and strategies; operating environmentally friendly and passenger-friendly transport systems; developing integrated cashless transport systems; and introducing real-time passenger information systems.

It is also responsible for managing bus stops, facilitating public toilets at transport hubs, improving pedestrian- and disability-friendly infrastructure, and supporting cycling infrastructure.

The authority can collect, maintain and update public transport data, determine routes and regulate operations on designated routes. It can also set service charges for transport services provided to residential areas, commercial centres and shopping malls.

The council has 35 members. To streamline decision-making, a nine-member steering committee has also been formed, comprising representatives of Kathmandu and other municipalities, as well as transport, traffic police and road authorities.

The authority is an autonomous, organised body with perpetual succession established to regulate, coordinate and improve public transport services in the federal capital.