Haywire Public Transport

Bini Dahal

Many popular tourist destinations globally are known for not just their scenic beauty but also for their great amenities. A major facility remains to be the availability of convenient, safe and cheap public transportation services. While these adjectives seem great, they surely do not describe the Nepali transportation system.

To put it bluntly, our public transportation is full of hassles as it is highly unregulated. And people, who rely on public transport in Kathmandu, fully resonate with this statement. Mostly during rush hours, there is always a big crowd of people waiting for a bus to come by. And the bus helpers force everyone to get on their vehicles. People are made to feel like they are some animals who are getting transported to a location, that too in a herd. Public transportation fare is not that high. But with the rising fuel prices, it has also been going up significantly. However, most common people are forced to choose the public transportations because taxis fares are very expensive.

The manners of bus helpers and drivers are often unbearable. Passengers come across different behaviours and it can range from getting asked politely to adjust to practically getting pushed and spoken badly to. Another major issue with our public transport service is that it is not available even on major routes after a certain time. Mostly in the late evening, it is very difficult to get a bus. There are also concerns about mostly female passengers facing harassment in the form of getting inappropriately touched.

Arguments flare up between bus helpers and passengers when the former are found demanding unreasonably higher amount of fare. Also, there is no set timetable i.e., we do not know when a bus will arrive at a location and when it will reach the destination. In the age of digital technology, many countries have already gone for smart bus cards that can be recharged and used to pay. We still are based on a system where bus helpers collect fares from passengers and give respective changes. But here, we do not even have well-maintained vehicles. Old and rickety buses are in operation, throwing only dust and smoke. 

It is disappointing to see how a major city like Kathmandu has been unable to properly manage its public transportation services. Besides the parking space issue, convenient public transportation in itself is a major concern that requires an immediate solution. If managed properly, public transportation can contribute to reducing the number of private vehicles and the subsequent traffic jams on the roads of Kathmandu. Hopefully, the concerned authorities will focus on different issues, factors and actors linked to the overall public transportation system. 

Through the development of a smart transportation system, it can contribute to developing megacities like Kathmandu into smart cities. It can also aid international tourists who are visiting the country. After all, using public transportation is a common practice around the world while travelling. So why not strive to develop a convenient, technology-centric and people-friendly transportation system? As the private sector is currently operating transportation services, there is a need for monitoring and support from the side of the government. Rather than sharing just painful experiences that we have regarding public transportation, if improved, we could boast about the ease and comfort it provides to people in their journey.