In total 13 routes between India and Nepal have been approved.

A private transport company in Kathmandu has started from here a deluxe bus service for Siliguri, a town in the Indian state of West Bengal.

The 44 seaters air-conditioned bus will cover a distance of 654-km on every alternate day. It will leave Kathmandu at 3 pm (local time) and reach Siliguri via Kakkarvitta-Panitanki along the Indo-Nepal border next day at around 11 am.

The bus fare will be NRs 2,000 along with a free Wi-Fi facility.

The bus service was flagged off on August 26 by the Minister for Transport Management of Nepal and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri in the presence of the authorities of the private bus company.

"Nepal has introduced this new Indo-Nepal Friendship bus service between Kathmandu-Kakarvitta-Siliguri. In total 13 routes between India and Nepal have been approved. It is the 11th route, which has been successfully started," said Maheswar Chettri, a representative of the Government of Nepal.

"The bus service will help the people of the two countries. We want to thank the Modi government for this initiative," Mr Chettri added.

The bus service was launched under the initiative of "Indo-Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement 2014."

Santosh Saha, president of Siliguri Bus Owners Booking Agents Welfare Association, said: "The bus service will give a boost to tourism of the two countries."

The passengers of the bus were welcomed at Siliguri's bus stand with garlands and sweets.

Nema Tamang, a passenger who travelled on the bus, said: "Earlier we used to get stranded at Kakarvitta, but this direct bus service has saved us from the tiring journey."