Ramechhap, June 25:

Travelling by public transport vehicles is a nightmare in the remote parts of the Ramechhap district.

Although fair weather roads link almost all the village development commettee, there are very few public transport vehicles plying on the roads, causing overcrowding in the buses, jeeps and other vehicles.

Small private jeeps and mini trucks ferry goods to at least 40 of the 55 VDCs of the district and the Arniko Yatayat Samiti operates a some buses on a few routes.

Durga Bahadur Basnet of Kathjor-8 feels it unsafe to travel in jeeps that ferry passengers double their capacity.

" With people having more access to roads, they opt to travel by vehicles than walking and this makes travelling a risky business," he said.

Only one jeep plies on the Manthali-Kathjor Thanti route and it ferries 20 passengers, in addition to the goods on its roof, making the vehicle unsafe, a passenger said.

Another passenger Ram Chandra Adhikari of Kathjor said lack of vehicles on the route is forcing the passengers to undertake risky travel.

"Everyone knows of the risk of travelling on vehicles, but there is no option," he said.

Chief district officer Surya Prasad Shrestha said: "Transport entrepreneurs had now agreed, not to carry passengers more than the capacity of the vehicle and that anyone violating the rule would be punished."