Kathmandu, Aug. 23 -- Despite an initial lukewarm response, sales of electric two-wheelers have spiked in Kathmandu as commuters realise that their initial and running cost is much lower than petrol motorcycles.
If this trend continues, the shift from petrol bikes to battery-powered two-wheelers will help clean up Kathmandu's air pollution. Today, the more than 800,000 two-wheelers in the Valley are the main contributors of poisonous gases like carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrous oxides and ozone.
These gases, combined with particulate matter from the exhaust pipes of motorcycles, account for most of our air pollution. People living along busy roads and commuters with long-term exposure to these pollutants can have their life expecta...