KATHMANDU: With Nepal’s biggest festivals, Dashain and Tihar, approaching, Kathmandu’s Gongabu-based New Bus Park has begun to witness heavy crowds of homebound passengers.
The rush has been further intensified after Tribhuvan University and its affiliated campuses announced closures in the wake of the September 8 and 9 Gen-Z protests, prompting thousands of students to return to their home districts.
According to Pankaj Malla, Head of Human Resources at Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd., which operates the New Bus Park, daily passenger numbers have more than tripled compared to regular days.
“Previously, around 4,000 to 5,000 people departed daily. Now the figure has surged to 12,000–15,000,” he said.
He added that more than 65,000 passengers have already left Kathmandu Valley since public transport resumed following disruptions caused by the Gen-Z demonstrations.
On Tuesday, a meeting convened by the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) with stakeholders decided not to open advance ticket bookings for this year’s Dashain. Instead, tickets will be issued based on the availability of vehicles.
Saroj Sitaula, Senior Vice-President of the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs, said that unlike in previous years when the rush peaked closer to Ghatasthapana and Phulpati, this year’s exodus has started early. “The growing rush we see now may actually ease pressure later, reducing the overall peak during Dashain,” he noted.
Currently, buses from Gongabu Bus Park are operating services to over 65 districts across the country. To manage festival travel, the government has opened route permits nationwide from September 22 to October 6 (Ghatasthapana to Kojagrat Purnima).
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