KATHMANDU: The number of people leaving Kathmandu for their hometowns to celebrate Dashain has surged, making it increasingly difficult to secure long-distance public transport and air tickets.
Bharat Bahadur Bohara, Chief of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office and Deputy Inspector General of Police, reported that 363,164 people have departed from the Kathmandu Valley between September 30 and October 6 for the Bada Dashain festivities.
On Saturday evening alone, 16,465 people left Kathmandu, with traffic at checkpoints and highways becoming congested as more travelers head out of the valley for the celebrations.
Drivers have expressed concerns about road conditions, noting that some areas are damaged and washed away, causing significant delays for both drivers and passengers.
Local resident Lokesh Singh from Kailali shared that many citizens were forced to remain in Kathmandu during Dashain due to the difficulty in obtaining bus and plane tickets.
“Tickets for buses and flights are not easily available. I was fortunate to secure a seat because I had booked and paid for my ticket in advance,” he said.
“My friends had to stay back in Kathmandu because they couldn’t find tickets. It’s really unfortunate.”
As a result, passengers are now compelled to pay inflated prices for bus and air travel during the festive season.
Deepak Bahadur Khatri noted that some long-distance travelers were seen at Gongbu Bus Park in Kathmandu, attempting to get to Achham, and were even forced to travel in the bus bonnets due to overcrowding.
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