The company had suspended bus services on the Kathmandu-Khurkot-Manthali road section since February 1 after relatives of the deceased blocked buses at various places.
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Ramechhap passengers are facing problems after Nepal Araniko Yatayat Sewa Pvt. Ltd. suspended bus services to and from Manthali via Kathmandu-Khurkot following a bus accident in Manthali Municipality-6, Ramechhap.
On Magh 12, a passenger bus (Bap 001-05 Kha 9975) heading from Kathmandu to Okhaldhunga fell into the Tamakoshi River in Lilauti, Manthali Municipality-6, killing 12 people on the spot and leaving 3 missing. Eight people were injured in the accident.
The bodies of a child and a youth have been found among the missing, according to the District Police Office, Ramechhap.
After the accident, despite an agreement reached in talks between the victim and the district administration that lasted until midnight on Magh 12, the Pvt. Ltd. had stopped bus services on the Kathmandu-Khurkot-Manthali road section since Falgun 1 after relatives of the deceased blocked the bus at various places.
Even now, the daily life of the residents of the rural areas of the district has been affected due to the non-operation of bus services.
Sumitra Lama of Likhutamakoshi Rural Municipality-5 says, 'The bus to the village has not been running for almost a week. My father is studying in Manthali, and I have stopped in Manthali as the bus that came to meet me is not running.'
Since most of the buses that reach the villages belong to Araniko, he said that the suspension of the service has affected the lives of the villagers.
With the suspension of Araniko Transport's bus service, those traveling to Melung and Okhaldhunga in Dolakha via Manthali have also been deprived of transport facilities. Subash Phuyal, district in-charge of Pvt. Ltd. Ramechhap, said that there has been no instruction from the center regarding the operation of the bus service.
'Currently, Araniko bus service in Ramechhap is completely suspended. No information has been received from the center. There are complaints from businessmen that the local administration has not yet been able to create a safe environment,' he said. According to him, more than 70 buses used to ply between Kathmandu and Ramechhap daily.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Ramechhap Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations have drawn the attention of the District Administration Office, Ramechhap, saying that the bus service should be operated immediately.
According to Deep Kumar Ghimire, President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Ramechhap, the attention of the Chief District Officer has been drawn to the issue as the public has been suffering due to the suspension of bus services for almost a week.
Chief District Officer Shyam Krishna Thapa said that there is no security problem for bus operation in the district and that the problem will be resolved soon as discussions are underway with the concerned bodies.
Passengers have complained that vehicles have started charging more than the prescribed fares, taking advantage of the lack of adequate means of transport.
