KATHMANDU: Bus tickets are being bought in advance, and the New Bus Park in Gongabu is growing incredibly packed as people depart Kathmandu to celebrate Dashain.
As Dashain, the biggest festival in Nepal, approaches, people who have been living in the Kathmandu Valley for a variety of reasons are returning to their hometowns to celebrate with friends and family.
A total of 126,435 persons used buses, trucks, and motorcycles to leave the Kathmandu Valley between September 30 and the morning of October 3, according to Chief of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office and Deputy Inspector General of Police Bharat Bahadur Bohara.
Speaking on behalf of the District Police Range in Kathmandu, Nabaraj Adhikari observed that when schools began to close for the Dashain holidays, the number of people visiting the New Bus Park grew.
Authorities have stepped up security at the New Bus Park to handle the swell of people, and they have set up a support desk to assist travelers and guarantee a hassle-free journey.
As more people leave the city for the festival, there is also an increase in traffic and passenger flow in other important parts of Kathmandu, like Kalanki and Koteshwor, which are experiencing crowding.
The increase in travelers and cars during the Dashain celebration has made Kathmandu's traffic congestion worse, especially at the entry and exit points.
Driver Ramit Oli on the Kathmandu-Dhangadhi route reported that despite bad road conditions brought on by rain-related disasters, there is a noticeable increase in passengers departing Kathmandu for their hometowns.
13,503 passengers had been transported by 820 motor vehicles—including buses, trucks, microbuses, private automobiles, and motorcycles—by Thursday afternoon after they had left Kathmandu.
The movement of people into and out of the city during the event was demonstrated by the fact that 544 vehicles had entered Kathmandu at the same time, carrying 6,554 passengers.
Since a large number of passengers utilizing private and reserved automobiles are not included in police statistics, the true number of travelers is probably much greater.
Bus stations have already begun accepting advance reservations for tickets until October 9 due to the huge demand, which makes it challenging for many travelers to obtain tickets for their trips.
Traveler Lalit Magar, from Rolpa, voiced his anger about not being able to find a bus ticket to return home for Dashain despite arriving early at the New Bus Park.
