Difficulty securing public transport and flight tickets

Kathmandu, October 7 — The number of people leaving the Kathmandu Valley to return to their hometowns for the Dashain festival is increasing daily. Currently, it has become difficult to obtain long-distance public transport and flight tickets.

According to Bharat Bahadur Bohara, the chief of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office and Deputy Inspector General of Police, from September 30 to October 6, a total of 363,164 people have left the Kathmandu Valley to celebrate Dashain. He mentioned that from Saturday evening at 6 PM until Sunday morning, 16,465 people exited Kathmandu.

Due to the exodus for Dashain, there is now significant traffic congestion at the valley’s border points and highways. Drivers report that in some areas, roads are collapsing or becoming impassable, causing considerable difficulties for vehicles and passengers.

Many citizens are finding it challenging to secure bus or flight tickets, forcing them to remain in the Kathmandu Valley during the festival. Lokesh Singh from Kailali, who was heading to Sudurpashchim from Kathmandu, shared, “It has become impossible to get tickets for buses or flights; I was lucky to have booked mine earlier, but my friends are stuck in Kathmandu without tickets. It feels really unfortunate.”

Passengers are now compelled to pay high prices to travel by bus and air during Dashain. Moreover, some long-distance travelers, unable to secure tickets, have resorted to sitting on the bonnets or roofs of buses to travel. Dipak Bahadur Khatri, who was seen at Gongabu Bus Park heading to Achham, said, “I must go home for the festival after a year. I couldn't get a seat, but if the bus can accommodate me, I'll travel even sitting on the bonnet.”

Like him, several passengers are forced to travel by sitting on the roofs or bonnets of buses due to the unavailability of tickets.