Nepal’s Lalitpur city Police becomes country’s 1st local body to use electric vehicles

Lalitpur [Nepal], July 21 (ANI): The Lalitpur Metropolitan City Police has become the first local body to use electric vehicles for patrolling in an effort to reduce the consumption of petroleum products.
During a ceremony held at the office of the Metropolis, Chiri Babu Maharjan, the re-elected mayor of Lalitpur City announced that his office would from now on only buy electric vehicles. He also said that the newly set aim would help Nepal in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
“SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) 2030 has aimed to displace the petroleum vehicles by 2030, Nepal also is part of that treaty. However, the target of Nepal has been set for 2040 making some amendments on it. Today, as we are in 2022, the deadline isn’t far and we have a policy that we would not purchase any petroleum-consuming vehicle. All the required vehicles would only be electric,” Mayor Maharjan said.
A total of five electric vehicles were handed over to the Lalitpur Metropolitan City Police. These vehicles have the capacity to run up to 80 Kilometers once charged for three hours. The vehicles were made operational after they were launched with the formation of QRT (Quick Response Team).
With electric vehicles entering the operation, the LMC- Police are hopeful that it would cut the daily expenses of petroleum products.
“We have to be on the field round the clock. In due course of time, it consumes about 7 litres of petrol for each scooter costing about one thousand Nepali rupees for each scooter on daily basis. Five scooters would cost around five thousand on a daily basis which would keep on increasing with the adjustments. Now with this, our daily expenses would be reduced,” said Sitaram Hachhethu, Chief of Lalitpur Metropolitan City Police told ANI.
“The new vehicles also don’t need to be charged for long- just two hours which would reduce expenses and pollution as well,” he added. (ANI)