Kathmandu: With Dashain aura in the air, more than 189,000 people left the Kathmandu Valley in the last five days.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office reported that this number of passengers moved outside the Kathmandu Valley in 29,360 public vehicles from September 17 to 21. The vehicles departed the federal capital via Thankot, Sanga, Dakshinkali, and Balaju check points.
Deputy Superintendent of Police at the Office, Lokendra Singh Guru, noted that individuals from various parts of the country residing in the Kathmandu Valley for education, business, and employment have commenced their journey back to their hometowns to celebrate the Dashain festival. On September 17, a total of 34,556 passengers left the Valley, followed by 36,100 on September 18, 40,555 on September 19, 34,879 on September 20, and 43,124 on September 21.
General Secretary of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, Dek Nath Gautam, expressed that vehicle movement along many highways faced challenges this year due to landslides. Thousands of vehicles were stranded owing to obstruction on the Muglin-Narayangadh road section for hours. Gautam urged the government to expedite efforts to reopen the highways promptly.
A significant number of people have been flocking to New Bus Park, Gongabu, to secure bus tickets for their journey to villages to partake in the biggest festival for Hindu people, Dashain. Gautam mentioned that more than 15,000 passengers are currently leaving Kathmandu Valley from New Bus Park daily, compared to the usual 4,000-5,000 on other normal days.