The passengers leaving for different parts of the country for festivals will be able to reserve their bus tickets – at current prices as the government postponed the transportation fare hike for a month – from tomorrow.
People’s movement across the country is yearly high during the festivals as according to the tradition, people travel back to their homes for Dashain to celebrate with their families.
Almost half of the people in valley travel back to their homes for Dashain, that is starting on September 25. Around 200 extra buses will be put into service on various routes.
According to a rough estimate, 1.5 million people will depart from the valley to celebrate Dashain at their homes this year. Around 3,500 buses are expected to leave Kathmandu Valley on the day of Fulpati, the seventh day of the 10-day Dashain festival.
The Department of Transport Management has planned to monitor the vehicles over possible black marketing and misconducts, said director general of the department Kashi Raj Dahal.
A meeting today at Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers on management of transport and air service has also directed the department to make monitoring effective.
The government has also formed a nine-member Central Transport Management and Facilitation Committee under Dahal for effective transport management for the festival.
The department will set up 10 help desks in various locations including Kalanki, Naya Buspark, Balkhu, Old Buspark, Koteshwor, Swayambhu, Gaushala, Jorpati and Satdobato of the Kathmandu Valley, Dahal said, adding that the customers will get tickets from the help desks. “The desks will also ensure that the commuters are not cheated.”
There will be 12 help desks in major cities, including Kakarbhitta, Itahari, Pokhara, Butwal, Kohalpur, Lahan, Kanchanpur, Lamahi, Bharatpur, Attariya, Pathlaiya and Dhalkebar outside the capital.
The department’s regional offices in 13 zones will also monitor in each district to check the malpractise and cheating.
“The help desks have also been planned to facilitate commuters till November 1,” Dahal said, adding that the government has also made it mandatory for transporters to have two drivers in each vehicle that ply on the long routes.

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