Taking the bus

KATHMANDU, July 23: For all the complaints voiced multiple times a day about public transportation in Nepal (of which, I am entirely guilty) it’s really not all that bad. Public transport (or whatever weak form we do have of it remaining) anyway is rather fascinating.



In terms of feasibility it’s the best option we have.[break]



Ideally the micros and buses would not be sputtering out such exhaust fumes, but so long as it is, better one bus carrying 20 people than 10 “Pajeros” zooming by with two people each! Not just because that’s less smog buildup but also because Kathmandu’s roads can spread out any which way.



We have a finite set of roads and infinite desires of the middle class.



Of course, the buses pack in an inhumane number of passengers, but really, it could be worse and that’s something to campaign against at a later point.



For now, let’s also not forget how congested Kathmandu is and how quickly it is becoming unbearably so. What I don’t understand is all those owners of four-wheelers jetting about town complaining.







It seems to me, if you are part of the problem you can hardly be complaining about the problem!



If I was, say, President of the Yatayat Samiti or if I was Mayor of Kathmandu I wouldn’t care how blue anyone’s plate was. I’d insist if they (green, yellow, red and the myriad of colors) lived in the outskirts or especially inside Ring Road, they’d be at the bottom of my private-car-owner-wannabe list!



Do you recall hearing about six-year long waits to get a landline in India back in the day? Yes, I’d like to regress to those days.

Not necessarily because I don’t believe in material happiness but because I am not all that comfortable with the idea of harassing our streets and environment

as we do.



Of course it’s not entirely comfortable but you know it’s the little price we pay to get from point A to point B by causing as little damage as possible.



And it’s not too bad these days - after all, for all the obnoxious idiots innocent passengers may have to put up with, there’s also chivalry ever present.



 For instance, I was on the valley-outskirts route the other day and it was packed.



I was building muscles I did not know even existed and this little old lady came up, as the conductor yelled back, “Ali padya lekhya ko chhan? Eso budi amalai seat chhodidinu paryo. Padya lekhyale ta garchhan ni.”



Now, aside from the fact that I have seen the non-padya lekhya more willingly oblige a less able person, it was a nice thing of him to do.



And then I recalled how when the bus is beyond packed and the only way to be wheeled is if you hang off of the bus, the conductor dai asks the younger men to get off and let the women squeeze in.



If you think they just want the fresh air, that’s not the case – the way they have to strain and adjust themselves by scrambling to hold on is something I am thankful I don’t have to put up with.



But they do. For all the creepy people, there are always more kindred souls too.



So, if you would like to think you are doing less harm than you would otherwise, make use of the tempos and micros! As a resident of a town in the outskirts of the city, I can’t tell you how good you have it on the inside.



They swerve into just about every gulley and, though it appears to work outside a scheduled listing, they zoom by so frequently it’s not a problem.



Peak hours aren’t ideal, of course, but I truly believe if more of us got on the bus we’d learn and consider how to improve it and it would quicker and better address one of Kathmandu’s plights. And, we’d be that much closer to making the world a better place, doncha’ think?!



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