Policy Dialogue on Automobile and Better Mobility 2025 Concludes Successfully in Kathmandu
The Policy Dialogue on Automobile and Better Mobility–2025, organized by the Nepal Automobiles’ Association (NASA Nepal), has been successfully concluded with the participation of prominent national and international personalities.
During the dialogue program, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Devendra Dahal, expressed his happiness that NASA Nepal is carrying out work that even the government has not been able to do. He acknowledged NASA Nepal’s role in connecting with various national and international institutions and in pushing for better mobility. Minister Dahal also committed to prioritizing road safety in future government agendas.
The program featured keynote speeches from Sushil Babu Dhakal, Chairperson of Asia Pacific Road Safety Observatory headquartered in Manila, Philippines, and Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport; Greig Craft, Vice President of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), Founding President of the Automobile Association of Vietnam, and Founder of the AIP Foundation; along with other speakers such as Ranjit Kaur Birk, Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Automobile Associations and Western India Automobile Association, and Dr. K.C. Vohra, Director at the School of Automotive, NAMTECH India.
Day One – Informative Session
In the Informative Session on the first day of the dialogue, Joint Secretary Sushil Babu Dhakal, NADA Executive Member Kapil Shivakoti, and NASA Foundation Nepal Executive Director Subash Bhattarai presented informative content.
In the Political Commitment Session, a panel discussion was held among former Minister and Member of the House of Representatives and Convener of Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Mobility Nepal Yogesh Bhattarai, National Assembly Member Garima Shah, Lumbini Provincial Assembly Member Nima Giri, and Karnali Provincial Assembly Member Santoshi Shahi.
The Policy Dialogue on Automobile and Better Mobility–2025, organized by the Nepal Automobiles’ Association (NASA Nepal), has been successfully concluded with the participation of prominent national and international personalities.
During the dialogue program, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Devendra Dahal, expressed his happiness that NASA Nepal is carrying out work that even the government has not been able to do. He acknowledged NASA Nepal’s role in connecting with various national and international institutions and in pushing for better mobility. Minister Dahal also committed to prioritizing road safety in future government agendas.
The program featured keynote speeches from Sushil Babu Dhakal, Chairperson of Asia Pacific Road Safety Observatory headquartered in Manila, Philippines, and Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport; Greig Craft, Vice President of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), Founding President of the Automobile Association of Vietnam, and Founder of the AIP Foundation; along with other speakers such as Ranjit Kaur Birk, Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Automobile Associations and Western India Automobile Association, and Dr. K.C. Vohra, Director at the School of Automotive, NAMTECH India.
Day One – Informative Session
In the Informative Session on the first day of the dialogue, Joint Secretary Sushil Babu Dhakal, NADA Executive Member Kapil Shivakoti, and NASA Foundation Nepal Executive Director Subash Bhattarai presented informative content.
In the Political Commitment Session, a panel discussion was held among former Minister and Member of the House of Representatives and Convener of Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Mobility Nepal Yogesh Bhattarai, National Assembly Member Garima Shah, Lumbini Provincial Assembly Member Nima Giri, and Karnali Provincial Assembly Member Santoshi Shahi.
In the Brainstorming with International Speakers session, Greig Craft, Ranjit Kaur Birk, and Dr. K.C. Vora discussed international innovations in automotive technology, road safety, and related topics.
Craft elaborated on two-wheeler safety, helmets, and Asian road safety; Kaur highlighted IDP, CDP, and cross-border connectivity in South Asian sustainable tourism; and Vora discussed efforts to make the automotive sector safer.
In the Safer Mobility Session, Dr. Bhagwati Sedhai presented on “Motorcyclist Safety and Youth Mobility”, while Dr. Rabindra Baskota, Senior Consultant at the Ministry of Health and Population, and Parivesh Parajuli, CTO at Kathmandu Podway, shared insights on related topics.
Day Two – Online and Academic Presentations
Dr. Pushpa Raj Pant, Research Fellow at the University of the West of England and road traffic researcher, delivered an online presentation on “Road Classification, Public Transportation, and Vehicle Certification in the UK”.
Innovative Session
In the Innovative Session, Assistant Professors Sirpa Shrestha and Gokarna Paudel from Kathmandu University School of Engineering, Lochan Kendra Devkota from TU Thapathali Campus, Atish Gaire, CEO of Telematics Pvt. Ltd., and Prabin Bhattarai, Managing Director of Drone Hub Nepal, shared their academic and innovative contributions in their respective fields.
Sustainable Mobility Session
In the Sustainable Mobility Session, Prem Lal Tamang, PhD Scholar at the University of Malaya in Malaysia, Rakesh Maharjan, General Secretary of Nepal Cycle Society and urban planner, and Sanjay Pokharel, environmental activist, discussed electric vehicles, cycling, waterway safety in Nepal, and more.
Prof. Dr. Padma Bahadur Shahi, President of Nepal Engineering Council, presented informative content on “Comparative Study of Nepali Geography and Population, Road, and Transport”.
Technical Session
In the Technical Session, Ekaraj Subedi presented on the challenges and opportunities of ride-sharing in Nepal, while NASA Nepal Secretary Santosh Neupane gave a presentation on “IDP and UN Resolution”.
Other notable speakers included Subarna Shrestha, Executive Member of the National Sports Council; Sunita Singh Budhathoki, Deputy Mayor of Mithila Municipality; Thakur Prasad Neupane, Former President of Nepal Auto Mechanics Business Association; and Krishna Singh Basnet, Coordinator of NASA Foundation Nepal.
Road Safety Award to Rai
Traffic activist Shekhar Chandra Rai was awarded the National Road Safety Award and a certificate of appreciation, handed over by Minister Devendra Dahal. This award is given to individuals or organizations for notable contributions in the field of road safety.
NASA Nepal also announced the launch of Motoring Academy and E-Vision Nepal to further enhance road safety in Nepal. Minister Dahal and other distinguished guests inaugurated the initiative during the event.
Govinda Bhattarai, FIA World Council Member, stated that this dialogue marks the beginning of collaborations between Nepal’s educational and professional institutions, aiming to make Nepal’s automobile sector more credible, professional, and globally relevant. He also announced that the conclusions of this dialogue will be presented at the upcoming Asia Pacific Road Safety Conference in Manila, Philippines.
The dialogue, held on Shrawan 17 and 18 (August 2 and 3), was chaired by Dasharath Risal, President of NASA Nepal. The program was coordinated and managed by Kiran Dhital (Mobility Manager at NASA Nepal), Ashish Rauniyar (Secretary, Marshal & Training Commission), and Ankit Bhandari (Sports and Event Manager).
For the past 17 years, Nepal Automobiles’ Association (NASA Nepal) has been actively working in the fields of automobile, mobility, motorsports, powerboating, e-sports, drones, and road safety.
NASA Nepal also announced the launch of Motoring Academy and E-Vision Nepal to further enhance road safety in Nepal. Minister Dahal and other distinguished guests inaugurated the initiative during the event.
Govinda Bhattarai, FIA World Council Member, stated that this dialogue marks the beginning of collaborations between Nepal’s educational and professional institutions, aiming to make Nepal’s automobile sector more credible, professional, and globally relevant. He also announced that the conclusions of this dialogue will be presented at the upcoming Asia Pacific Road Safety Conference in Manila, Philippines.
The dialogue, held on Shrawan 17 and 18 (August 2 and 3), was chaired by Dasharath Risal, President of NASA Nepal. The program was coordinated and managed by Kiran Dhital (Mobility Manager at NASA Nepal), Ashish Rauniyar (Secretary, Marshal & Training Commission), and Ankit Bhandari (Sports and Event Manager).
For the past 17 years, Nepal Automobiles’ Association (NASA Nepal) has been actively working in the fields of automobile, mobility, motorsports, powerboating, e-sports, drones, and road safety.
