KATHMANDU: In the past five days, 189,218 travelers have left the federal capital, Kathmandu, to celebrate Dashain across the country. According to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, 29,360 public transport vehicles carried these passengers from September 17 to 21.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Lokendra Singh Guru said that many travelers, who had come to the valley for study, business, or employment, began returning to their hometowns for the festival. Major exit points included Thankot, Sanga, Dakshinkali, and Balaju.
The daily breakdown of travelers shows 34,556 on September 17, 36,100 on September 18, 40,555 on September 19, 34,879 on September 20, and 43,124 on September 21.
This year, road conditions have caused delays for passengers. Secretary of the Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs National Federation, Deknath Gautam, noted that landslides on highways during the rainy season have disrupted vehicle movement.
“On the Mugling–Narayanghat section, buses were stuck for hours due to landslides, causing delays in timely arrivals in Kathmandu and making it difficult to transport passengers to their destinations,” Gautam said, urging the government to restore road operations promptly.
The surge in travelers has also been visible at Kathmandu’s Gongabu National Bus Park and New Bus Park. Pankaj Mall, HR head of Lotsa Multipurpose Company, which operates the New Bus Park, said daily passengers heading home have increased to over 15,000 compared to the usual 4,000–5,000.
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