KATHMANDU: Late-night commuters in the Kathmandu Valley are undergoing the same woes as before despite Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC)’s decision to operate night bus services.
KMC on April 14 had planned to bring public buses into operation in view of the woes faced by the late-night commutes and issued a local gazette to this effect.
According to the Section 7 (0) of the local gazette issued by KMC on April 12, 2019, vehicles were supposed to ply the routes in Kathmandu from 5 am to 9 pm between October 18 to February 12, 2020 and from 5 am to 10 pm between February 13 to October 17.
Following the KMC’s decision, currently, three Sajha buses are operating from 5 am until 9 pm which does not meet the demands of the late-night commuters.
Night commuters are undergoing problems after the concerned body failed to implement its own decision.
These Sajha buses ply the route from New Road Gate to Naya Baneshwar to Airport to Chabahil to New Bus Park.
Similarly, the other route is New Road Gate-RNAC-Tripureshwar-Teku-Kalimati-Kalanki while the third route is New Road Gate-Thamel-Sohrakhutte-New Bus Park.
Every late-night commuter is under compulsion to wait for hours for public vehicles but in vain. Those who can afford, hire a taxi and those who cannot do so walk to the destination on foot.
Night commuters are undergoing problems after the concerned body failed to implement its own decision.
Sarada Pariyar, who temporally hails from Kapan, works at an office based in Kamalpokhari. Her duty begins at 12 noon and lasts until 9 pm. As soon as her office is over, the first thing that worries her is how to get to her house as there is no public vehicle. Sharing her woes with Khabarhub, she said, “I have to, at times, wait for public vehicles till late night. Earlier, I used to take Pathao but, later, I stopped using it over security reasons.”
She is only a representative case. A lot of late-night commuters in the Kathmandu Valley are suffering the same fate. They are forced to either ask for a lift or use a taxi at the cost of exorbitant fare. Sarada feels insecure to travel this way. She usually commutes from Kamalpokhari to Kapan on foot.
Monitoring body yet to be formed
The decision could not be implemented since there is not a separate monitoring body to supervise the operation of the night bus service, said Basanta Acharya, information officer of KMC.
Meanwhile, KMC office is making preparations to form a separate monitoring body to smoothly operate public vehicles during the night.
“We are preparing to form a committee to arrange and oversee the operation of public vehicles at night,” he said, adding, “Night bus services will come into operation once a separate monitoring committee is formed.”
Acharya further said that the three vehicles operated by KMC in Kathmandu at night failed to serve late night commuters.
Talks are underway between the Department of Transport and transport entrepreneurs to this effect. Night bus services will come into operation after a few weeks, he assured.
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