Sajha Yatayat dismisses rumors of repainting buses blue for women-only service

Sajha Yatayat, a public transport cooperative in Nepal, has debunked circulating rumors that its fleet of green buses will be repainted blue to launch a new women-only service. The cooperative clarified that the "Blue Bus" initiative refers to a dedicated service concept, not a change in the vehicles' physical appearance.

Bhupendra Aryal, the chief executive officer of Sajha Yatayat, explained that most images of blue buses seen online are either digitally altered or generated by artificial intelligence. He emphasized that the company has a distinct brand identity and no plans to change its buses' color. Instead, Sajha Yatayat is considering using stickers or other visual markers to identify the buses designated for the women-focused service.

“

Sajha has its own distinctive brand identity. There is no plan to change the colour of our buses. We are discussing the use of stickers or other visual markers to identify the buses as a separate service for women.

The "Blue Bus" service is set to begin on July 17, featuring eight electric buses, each with a 26-passenger capacity. While the exact operating hours and the final number of buses are still being finalized, the preliminary plan includes deploying these buses on three routes within the Kathmandu Valley. Two buses will serve the Budhanilkantha–Lagankhel–Godawari route, two will operate between Nagdhunga and the Airport, and four will run on the Ring Road, covering different segments in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.

This initiative is part of the government's 100-point governance reform action plan, which aims to introduce at least 25 such buses within the first 100 days. The government also announced plans to equip the women-focused service with closed-circuit television cameras to enhance safety in public transport.

“

most images of blue-coloured buses circulating online appear to have been either generated using artificial intelligence or digitally altered.