The Kathmandu and Delhi transporting service resumed after over 20 months on 15th December,2021 morning, with the first DTC bus carrying 12 passengers from Ambedkar Terminal to the public capital of Nepal.
The passengers headed to Kathmandu expressed happiness that the Maitri Bus Sewa, which was halted due to Covid-19, was resumed, saying it will help bring people of the two countries together. The service was halted in March 2020 due to Covid and it progressed with strict adherence to guidelines, including obligatory double-cure vaccination and a negative RT-PCR test report to be produced by the passengers before boarding. A lot of people travel between Nepal and India for tourism and business, and this luxury vehicle will fulfill that need and help make on the relationship between the two nations," said a passenger, Vivek. The DTC has tied up with Skyline India (Motors) Pvt. Ltd. for the operation of the buses. The bus departs from Delhi to Kathmandu on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The return bus services from Kathmandu to Delhi are available on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
The bus also stops at Sonauli (India-Nepal border) for customs checking. Passengers traveling between Delhi and Kathmandu are not allowed to disembark or embark en route except at the listed gridlocks.
The passengers will not be allowed to board the machine if they fail to produce the documents, he said. The service was initiated as a symbol of fellowship between the two nations and since its morning, the buses have constantly carried pilgrims, sightseers, foreign delegates, and the general public from both nations.
