Key Takeaways
- 207,251 people left New Bus Park between October 3 and 11
- 31,235 passengers departed on October 9
- Road subsidence at Galaundi in Dhading stranded buses in Kathmandu Valley
- Transport entrepreneurs have urged passengers to buy tickets in advance and pay prescribed fares
KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 12
More than 207,000 passengers left Kathmandu's New Bus Park over nine days as the annual Dashain exodus gathered pace, with highway disruptions adding to the challenges of festive travel.
Pankaj Malla, general manager of Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt Ltd, which operates the 161-ropani bus park, told that 207,251 passengers departed between October 3 and 11. The facility accommodates up to 800 buses serving long- and short-distance routes.
Passenger departures peaked at 31,235 on October 9. The bus park recorded 29,602 departures on October 6 and 29,380 on October 11. Daily departures rose from 18,729 on October 3 to 19,530 on October 4 and 23,016 on October 5.
The number stood at 22,288 on October 7 and 25,201 on October 8 before falling to 16,970 on October 10.
The festive rush has coincided with disruptions along major highways. Deknath Gautam, general secretary of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, said road conditions had complicated transport operations.
He cited road subsidence at Galaundi in Dhading along the Prithvi Highway on October 9, the day advance bus ticket bookings opened, as a major disruption. The incident obstructed traffic, leaving buses stranded in Kathmandu Valley and complicating passenger management, he said.
The federation has urged travellers to purchase tickets before boarding, pay only the prescribed fares and check their vehicles' condition before beginning their journeys.
Dashain, Nepal's biggest festival, prompts large numbers of people to leave Kathmandu Valley and other urban centres for their hometowns and ancestral villages to celebrate with family and relatives.
(With inputs from RSS)