KATHMANDU, Sept 12: The transport entrepreneurs, in initiative of government, have opened advance booking of bus tickets for medium and long route from Kathmandu Valley today onwards in view of approaching festival Dashain.

The New Bus Park at Gongabu in the capital city was crammed with passengers jostling to book their tickets since the wee hours. One among them was Bikash KC who arrived Bus Park at 4 am to secure his ticket to Machchhi in Pyuthan district. He said, “I arrived here in the wee hours when it was raining.”

Although pre-booking was supposed to open from September 7, transport entrepreneurs had been dillydallying the booking citing various issues.

Another passenger Tara Deuba, carrying a baby, had reached the Bus Park to book her ticket to Lamki in Kailali. She bemoaned that the booking had not opened on time, causing problems to passengers like her.

According to Spokesperson at the Department of Transport Management (DoTM), Dr Tokraj Pandey, the tickets could be booked from Gaushala, Sundhara, Koteshwor among other places besides New Bus Park.

Spokesperson Dr Pandey added that around 1. 5 million passengers were recorded to have left Kathmandu Valley in public transport while around 500,000 were recorded to have travelled to their hometowns outside the Valley in their private vehicles.

Around 1,000 vehicles set out from the New Bus Park on a daily basis during Dashain against around 300 on other regular days, shared a transport entrepreneur Pankaj Malla.

Furthermore, passengers help desk has been set up in 12 different places in the Valley to make sure no passengers are charged exorbitant fare, according to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sarbendra Khanal, Chief of Metropolitan Traffic Police Division.

SSP Khanal also urged the passengers to immediately inform the Division or Help Desk officials in case of cheating in the bus fare.

More than 2 million to 3 million people leave Kathmandu Valley for their respective hometowns during the Dashain, according to the DoTM.

Spokesperson Dr Pandey said that there was no issue relating to booking of tickets as of now.

“The advance booking has been taking place without any issues,” said Pandey, adding that no new buses have been added by transport entrepreneurs as of now. RSS

Photos: Mukunda Kalikote