As Dashain approaches, more people are leaving Kathmandu Valley to celebrate the festival at home, adding to traffic congestion at key departure points and along highways leading out of the Capital city.
New Bus Park, Kalanki, Balkhu, Koteshwar and Chabahil have seen a surge in departing passengers since Ghatasthapana, the first day of the festival. The Kalanki-Nagdhunga section has been particularly congested, with large numbers of passengers boarding overnight buses bound for destinations across the country.
Pankaj Malla, general manager of Lotse Multipurpose, which operates New Bus Park in Gongabu, said passengers were leaving without major problems at the bus park and that there had been no complaints about ticket shortages. “On Monday evening, 32,500 passengers left in 226 microbuses and 486 buses,” Malla said.
But repeated road closures have made journeys unpredictable and hurt transport operators, he said. Some passengers have opted to fly home despite the higher fares, concerned that they could be held up by road conditions along the way.
Between October 3 and 13, 239,777 passengers had left New Bus Park in buses and microbuses, Malla said. Many vehicles were heading out through Nagdhunga.
Nareshraj Subedi, information officer at the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, said congestion had increased over the past few days but that police were working to manage the flow of traffic. “The volume of vehicles leaving through Kalanki and Nagdhunga is particularly high,” he said. Traffic police are checking drivers for alcohol and drug use at major exit points and sending vehicles for mechanical inspections.
According to traffic police, 52,827 passengers left the Valley in 8,526 vehicles on Sunday, the day of Ghatasthapana. On Monday, 56,809 passengers travelled in 8,613 vehicles. A day before Ghatasthapana, 44,522 passengers had left.
Passenger assistance desks have been set up at 15 locations across the valley, including New Bus Park, Balkhu, Pharping, Kalanki, Nagdhunga, Chabahil, Koteshwar and Jagati. Travellers can report problems such as ticket shortages, a lack of seats and overcharging to traffic police and transport staff at the desks.
Punya Prasad Sitaula, chair of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, said intermittent road closures had made it difficult to get passengers to their destinations despite preparations for the festival rush. “Providing tickets is not the biggest challenge. The priority is getting passengers to their destinations safely,” he said, urging both passengers and drivers to exercise caution.
Bijay Jaisi, director general of the Department of Roads, said there were no major road disruptions at present. Sections damaged by floods had been repaired and reopened, while equipment and personnel were on standby in areas vulnerable to landslides.
Direct road links between Myagdi and Mustang, Baglung and Parbat, and Rasuwa and Nuwakot had been restored, Jaisi said.
A section of the Prithvi Highway at Galuandi in Gajuri Rural Municipality-5, Dhading, which subsided on Friday evening, was fully reopened on Tuesday morning. Workers cut into the hillside to widen the road for two-way traffic and laid gravel after restricting movement from Monday night until Tuesday morning to complete repairs.
Jaisi said heavier-than-usual traffic during the festival period was contributing to congestion. Traffic police reported particularly high vehicle volumes on the Nagdhunga-Mugling section, the Kanti Highway, the BP Highway and the Tribhuvan Highway.