Darjeeling: The North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) went international from Wednesday with a bus service to Kathmandu-Nepal. The first NBSTC bus to Nepal was flagged off by Transport minister Firhad Hakim.
"The bus service is in keeping with better transportation as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's priority. The Chief Minister firmly believes that good relations with neighbours will ensure more cross-border movement that will help boost the economy of the region as well as promote tourism," Hakim said.
He stated that soon a NBST bus service will connect Siliguri with Dhaka via Fulbari (the Indian border near SIliguri) which has an immigration counter.
The Minister stated that tourism is the economic mainstay of North Bengal. "Siliguri being the gateway of North East, Nepal and Bhutan, good roadway network and transport system will help boost tourism. More and more people from these places will visit North Bengal," he said.
He stated that the Chief Minister's boost to tea tourism and homestays already has become a huge success, with people from all over the country and even from foreign countries availing these facilities.
The 41-seater bus in collaboration with a private player Greenline travels. It will depart from both Siliguri and Kathmandu on Mondays. Wednesdays and Fridays at 3 pm and arrive at the destination the next morning at around 9 am, completing a journey of 631 km. The fare is Rs 1500 Indian Currency.
On Tuesday the Transport minister had signed a Reciprocal Transport Agreement with Sikkim whereby Sikkim vehicles will be given an All Bengal permit and Bengal vehicles All Sikkim permit. However, the permits exclude "restricted" and "protected" areas. The local sight-seeings will also be undertaken by local vehicles (Bengal vehicles for Bengal and Sikkim vehicles for Sikkim.) This agreement was earlier signed between the two states in 2007.