The number of people returning to their districts has increased due to the many public holidays due to elections and Holi.
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The number of people leaving the Kathmandu Valley for various districts to vote in the upcoming elections is increasing daily. For the past few days, the largest number of passengers has been arriving at the new bus park in Gongabu. There is also a high volume of passengers and vehicles leaving the valley in Chabahil, Koteshwor, Kalanki, Balkhu and Balaju.
On Sunday alone, 480 micro and passenger buses left the new bus park. The heavy traffic on Sunday and Monday caused traffic jams for hours on the Nagdhunga-Naubise and BP highways. According to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, 353,046 passengers left the valley in eight days from Falgun 20 to 17.
Pankaj Malla, a representative of Lhotse Multipurpose Private Limited in New Bus Park, said that a large number of passengers left on Sunday. "On Sunday alone, 480 passenger vehicles left the bus park. Previously, only 300 to 350 vehicles would leave daily," he said. "In four days, 150,000 passengers have left the bus park for the elections alone."
He said that this time, many passengers left because there were many public holidays and elections. "The number of passengers has increased like Dashain, there is a huge crowd," he said. "It is as if Dashain has arrived." He said that day and night buses will run until Tuesday, and night buses will not run on Wednesday due to the elections. "On Wednesday, short-distance passenger buses will only take passengers to places they reach before midnight," he said.
Saroj Sitaula, acting president of the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs, said that about 950,000 passengers are expected to leave the Kathmandu Valley for the elections. "There are many public holidays at this time," he said. "Because of this, there are many people who are going to vote enthusiastically." He said that many people are reserving their own vehicles and going there.
‘There are a lot of passengers leaving even though there are two public holidays in Madhesh and the hills for Holi and the elections on the 21st,’ he said, ‘Many are reserving jeeps, minibuses, microbuses and passenger buses, and the process is ongoing.’ Currently, public vehicles in the Kathmandu Valley have gone to the reserve with temporary road licenses (PATKs). Due to which the pressure of vehicles plying in the valley is thin. ‘The parties have not asked for vehicles to carry passengers in the elections this time,’ Sitaula said, ‘Many are forming groups and taking reserves.’
Voters are currently going to various districts via microbuses, jeeps, large passenger buses, minibuses, motorcycles and airplanes. Sitaula said that the pressure of passengers leaving the valley has been like a dozen for the past few days. ‘During the elections, there is a high volume of passengers and vehicles leaving the valley,’ he said. ‘At such times, the risk of accidents is higher than before. The condition of rural roads is poor, difficult, and unpaved. Drivers cannot force their vehicles to enter such places, and passengers cannot pressure drivers to leave.’
The traffic police, which are limited in their capacity, are struggling to manage vehicles leaving Kathmandu. SSP Nawaraj Adhikari, head of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, said that there is a high volume of passengers leaving the valley.
‘Many passengers have left through the Nagdhunga checkpoint,’ he said. ‘Since the elections and Holi fall at the same time, there are a lot of vehicles leaving the valley, which is why the number of public vehicles plying within the valley is low.’
Traffic police are deployed at key locations. "Traffic police are deployed in many places for election security," he said, "We are managing traffic with limited manpower, there is no such problem." The traffic police keep records of exits from Nagdhunga, Bhaktapur's Jagati, Pharping and Chapagaun checkpoints. According to the traffic police, there is no record of passengers leaving on motorcycles and scooters.
