Kathmandu to Muglin: 6-hour travel time amid increased traffic

Kathmandu, October 3 — With the start of Dashain, the number of passengers returning home from Kathmandu has increased. Alongside this, the Muglin–Narayangadh road is currently busy.

Due to continuous rainfall last week, many highways connecting the Kathmandu Valley are blocked because of landslides and flooding. Vehicles entering and leaving the valley through BP Highway, Pharping, and Kanti Lokpath have also been unable to operate due to landslides in various locations.

In Kavrepalanchok, the Roshi River has eroded the roads, leading to a complete blockage of the BP Highway. With the BP Highway blocked, which connects most districts in eastern Nepal, the traffic on the Muglin–Narayangadh road has increased.

As the number of vehicles has increased, severe traffic jams have started to occur. It typically takes around 4 hours to travel from Kalanki to Muglin; however, transport operators report that it now takes over 6 hours.

Bijay Bahadur Swar, president of the National Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs, stated that due to the increased traffic, the government should facilitate the use of alternative routes.

"In times of disaster, it has become possible to travel using alternative routes and reach the destination via any highway. However, since most highways are blocked, there is no way to use alternative routes, so the government must remove the obstructions as quickly as possible," he said.

According to Swar, around 600,000 tickets have already been booked for Dashain. He mentioned that efforts are being made to facilitate these travelers to reach their destinations.

"We are working on how to take them smoothly. We have also urged the government to repair the roads as quickly as possible," he added.

How many passengers have left?

After the Narayangadh-Muglin road section resumed operation, a total of 8,672 vehicles, both small and large, left between September 30 and October 3 until 6 AM. These vehicles carried 76,498 passengers.

During this period, 7,230 vehicles brought 51,710 passengers into the capital. Among these vehicles, only 1,189 were buses, carrying 34,947 passengers. Additionally, 3,560 trucks transported 7,173 people, 1,199 small vehicles brought in 7,265 passengers, and 1,282 motorcycles contributed 2,325 passengers entering the capital.

Of the vehicles that departed, 1,506 were buses carrying 56,956 passengers. Similarly, 3,592 trucks transported 7,794 passengers. During this period, 1,249 small vehicles took 8,248 passengers out, and 2,125 motorcycles carried 3,464 passengers.

The road in Dhading’s Jogimara area, part of the Narayangadh-Muglin road section, has eroded by 20 meters. On the Prithvi Highway, the road near Krishna Bhir in Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality-5 is currently operating in one direction. In Chitwan's Ichhakamana Rural Municipality-9, traffic is now operating in both directions at the eroded section of the Muglin-9 Kilometer road, which the road department has temporarily covered with plastic.

Large vehicles have been halted

Discussions are underway about prohibiting large trucks and tippers from operating on the Narayangadh-Muglin road section, according to DSP Rabin Karki of the Valley Traffic Police Office. 

He stated, "We are discussing the restriction of all large vehicles except those carrying essential food supplies."

Rajiv Pokharel, the Director General of the Department of Transport Management, mentioned that due to the increased number of passenger vehicles on the Narayangadh-Muglin road section, preparations are being made to restrict large freight vehicles, except those carrying essential goods.

According to Pokharel, these vehicles will be prohibited from operating during passenger vehicle hours, with a suitable time to allow their movement to be determined. He also urged passengers to refrain from traveling unless absolutely necessary.

Pokharel noted that discussions have been held at the ministry to remove the obstructions on the highways. He stated that work is underway to clear most highway blockages within two days.