KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 7

The number of people leaving Kathmandu for their hometowns to celebrate Dashain has surged, making it increasingly difficult to secure long-distance public transport and air tickets.

Deputy Inspector General Bharat Bahadur Bohara of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office reported that 363,164 people left the Kathmandu Valley between September 30 and October 6 for Bada Dashain festivities. In just one night, from 6:00 PM Saturday to Sunday morning, 16,465 people departed.

Checkpoints and highways are now congested with vehicles, while damaged roads in some areas have added to the travel challenges. Passengers and drivers alike have expressed frustration, with many travelers paying high prices or being left stranded due to ticket shortages.

Some long-distance passengers at Gongbu Bus Park were even found traveling in bus bonnets, due to the scarcity of seats, it has been reported.

(With inputs from RSS)