Kathmandu, October 4

With Dashain in full swing, more people are in travel rush to join their families back home. Metropolitan Traffic Police Division said tens of thousands of migrant workers, students, civil servants and private employees continue to leave Kathmandu valley for their hometowns and villages to celebrate the festival.

As many as 16,56,169 people have left the valley through Thankot, Dakshinkali, Jagati and Balaju entry points during September 22 to October 3 against the inflow of 9,041,68 and more are expected to move home in the coming two days (Fulpati and Mahaasthami). Some 200,000 people left the valley in the past three days and the number is likely to double or triple till the day of Mahaastami, MTPD said. Fulpati and Mahastami are the busiest travel days before the valley witnesses a lull.

Over 13,000 buses, minibuses and microbuses are ferrying passengers to their destinations on a daily basis. Around 9,000 vehicles leave the valley on normal days. A least 2.5 million people are expected to travel for their homes from the valley via road and air, according to MTPD.

MTPD said traffic police personnel were mobilised to manage and regulate vehicular traffic to ensure passengers’ safety. Passenger help desks have been set up in 14 places of the valley to regulate the traffic and settle complaints lodged by passengers. The help desks comprise representatives from traffic police and civil police, Department of Transport Management, civil society, transport entrepreneurs and workers.

MTPD claimed it had stepped up action against rule violators. It has booked 19 transport entrepreneurs of long-route vehicles for not hiring two drivers. As many as 255 transport entrepreneurs faced action for overcharging passengers. Four long-route bus drivers were arrested for drink driving yesterday.

Help desks check if the vehicles are carrying passengers beyond capacity and also take action against drunk drivers. To prevent road accidents, the government has made it mandatory for transport entrepreneurs to manage two drivers for long-route vehicles. According to MTPD, a temporary traffic police post has been set up in Dhunibesi of Dhading to ease and facilitate smooth movement of the vehicles leaving or entering Kathmandu. The post is assigned to tackle daily traffic congestion on Nagdhunga-Khani Khola road stretch.

Traffic congestion has been a regular phenomenon in various places, including Tinpiple, Piplamod, Jyaplekhola and Khatripauwa and travellers are stuck in jam for hours.

The problem is likely to worsen during the festive season. The Department of Transport Management has imposed a ban on lorries, cargo trucks, multi-axle tractors and trailers on the Kathmandu-Narayangadh road section during Dashain.

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