Kathmandu – With an aim to reduce the fossil fuel based vehicles and promote electric vehicles, the government had introduced Environment Friendly Vehicle and Transport Policy in 2071.
However, the necessary guidelines have not been prepared even though it’s been six years since the policy was issued. Because of the delay, Nepal has not been able to promote electric vehicles.
Though the government has providing subsidy on the customs duty of electric vehicles, it has not been effective due to lack of necessary infrastructure for operation and guidelines of electric mobility.
When the government decided to initiate the process to purchase 300 electric buses a few months ago, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth had said, “the buses will be purchase by mid-May.”
There is no certainty about the necessary programs for the purchase and operation of green transport even as the government is working to finalize the annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Rather the government is planning to expand storage facilities for petroleum products in various places of the country. The state of affairs indicate that the fossil fuel run vehicles is likely to increase.
“The import of petroleum vehicles today means we are planning to continue it for the next 20 years,” said Umesh Raj Shrestha, president of Electric Vehicle Association Nepal.
Recent trend shows that a growing number of high-level government officials and general public are also buying electric vehicles.
According to Clean Energy Nepal President Bhushan Tuladhar, there is no alternative to transforming the public vehicles to electric. “The rate of pollution is increasing in Kathmandu every year. The main reason behind this is the growing vehicles run by diesel and petrol. We can improve our environment if we could promote electric vehicles,” said Tuladhar.
Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) Chairman Kosmos Bishwokarma said that Nepal should jump on the bandwagon at a time when a majority of the developed countries are striving to displace the petroleum vehicles with electric vehicles.
Organizing a joint press conference on Thursday, NEFEJ, Clean Energy Nepal, and Electric Vehicle Association Nepal urged the government to incorporate the policy to promote electric vehicles while unveiling the budget for the fiscal year 2019/20.
