KATHMANDU: The government has decided to open advanced bookings of bus tickets within a week in view of upcoming Dashain festival.

Accoring to Gogan Bahadur Malla, the director general at the Department of Transport (DoT), the advanced bookings of bus tickets will be opened within a week.

The exact date for the ticket booking will be announed following consultation with transport entrepreneurs, Nepal Police, consumbers’ rights groups and stakeholders, said Malla.

The Department has speculated that the number of passengers leaving the capital for their homes during the Dashain festival this year will be less compared to last year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, the number of passengers entering the Kathmandu Valley was more than those leaving the capital until Sunday.

But the number of going out of the valley has increased since Monday. “In the last two days, 23,000 to 25,000 people left the Kathmandu Valley,” said Rameshwor Yadav, the spokesperson for the Division.

A total of  57,000 people left and 63,000 entered the Kathmandu Valley between September 17 to 20. Now, the number of passengers leaving the Valley has increased gradually.