KATHMANDU, Oct 15: With the beginning of the great Nepali festival, Dashain, the New Bus Park at Gongbu in Kathmandu is crowded with passengers eager to return home. Although the government has opened advance ticket bookings for Dashain, there has been a rush of passengers going home since Saturday as most of the schools, colleges and organizations have been closed since Ghatasthapana.

Pankaj Malla, the spokesperson for Lotse Multipurpose Pvt Ltd, which has taken over the management of the new bus park, said that more than 25,000 passengers have started leaving the Kathmandu Valley from the New Bus Park daily. "Long and medium distance vehicles are overcrowded, we have now adjusted bus departure schedules earlier than usual," he said.

Notably, 60,000 passengers have already secured advance bookings for Dashain, as confirmed by Sunil Kunwar, the general manager of Lotse Multipurpose Pvt Ltd, the company overseeing bus operations at New Bus Park.

The government also opened route permits for public vehicles across the country on October 13 to facilitate Dashain traffic management. Saroj Sitaula, senior vice president of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs (FNNTEA), said that looking at the current situation, it is expected that more passengers will leave the Valley than in the previous years. According to him, the FNNTEA has added some buses for the passengers to reach their destinations easily.

The traffic police have also operated passenger help centers at 15 different locations. These centers will address fare-related concerns and passenger issues, offering essential support to those leaving the valley.

 
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