KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 17

Kathmandu's Gongabu-based New Bus Park is witnessing a sharp rise in outbound passengers as the Dashain and Tihar festivals approach.

According to Pankaj Malla, HR head at Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd., daily departures have jumped from the usual 4,000–5,000 to around 12,000–15,000 passengers.

He noted that over 65,000 people have already left the Valley since public transport resumed after the Gen-Z protests disrupted travel and led Tribhuvan University and its affiliated campuses to close, prompting many students to head home.

Despite the festival rush, Tuesday's meeting at the Department of Transport Management decided not to open advance ticket bookings this year, citing unpredictable road conditions.

Senior Vice-President of the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs, Saroj Sitoula, said the early crowd suggests the total Dashain exodus may be slightly lower than usual.

Currently, buses from the New Bus Park provide long-route services to more than 65 districts nationwide. To ease festival travel, the government has opened route permits across Nepal from September 22 (Ghatasthapana) to October 8.

(With inputs from RSS)