Air fare high‚ bus service becoming alternative

JUMLA: Most of the district people have preferred buses for travel after flight service providers here hiked air fare in a voluntary manner.

Presently, the air companies are charging Rs 12, 000 for one way ticket to and from Nepalgunj/Surkhet to Jumla. ‘I waited four days to get flight service but later compelled to travel by bus for not getting a ticket’, said Dhan Bahadur Rawat, a local.

‘The plane fare is beyond our financial capacity so it is not affordable to travel. Bus transport is not also properly managed in the district, how we could travel?’ locals questioned.

Only two buses are operating their services from Jumla to Nepalgunj and Surkhet every day. But the service is not adequate, said locals.

However, the air companies said they were compelled to charge high since they do not often get full passengers while returning from Jumla.

Meanwhile, an investigation committee headed by assistant Chief District Officer Chetan Kumar Khatri has been formed to investigate into the case.