Ticket selling, pick and drop outside New Bus Park continue

Kathmandu, June 23: Gunjan Rajbhandari, a mobile application developer working in Kathmandu, had hesitatingly arrived at Koteshwor Tuesday evening. However, he was happy to see the ticket counters for long-route vehicles open.

“I had heard that the ticket counters for long-route vehicles outside the New Bus Park had been shut. I tried booking a ticket online, but it was expensive. Since I live nearby, I came to confirm whether a counter was operating in Koteshwor or not. It was a relief to see the counters open as I did not have to travel to the New Bus Park, which is pretty far due to the traffic,” said Rajbhandari.

Rajbhandari, a permanent resident of Morang, was returning to his hometown of Urlabari to attend a wedding. “I was also glad to hear that the vehicle would pick me up from Koteshwor itself,” he added.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) decided to utilise the Gongabu-based New Bus Park as the sole terminal and ticket counter for long-route passenger vehicles leaving the Kathmandu Valley from June 16. Meanwhile, it has not been implemented effectively yet.

“No one has come and asked to shut the counter, neither our federation nor the authorities. I have heard that a stay order has been brought and the counters have been allowed to operate for now. We will operate until we are allowed to,” said a ticket counter operator in Koteshwor as he wrote the details of a passenger en-route to Ilam on a bus ticket Tuesday evening. 

Ticket counters can still be seen operating in major junctions like Koteshwor, Gaushala and Kalanki, and vehicles are collecting and dropping passengers outside the bus park. Nevertheless, the ticket counters have removed the advertisement and hoarding boards that were earlier conspicuous.

“The boards have been removed to show that we are in support of the KMC’s decision. However, there are certain demands we are waiting to get fulfilled,” said Deknath Gautam, general secretary at the Federation of Nepalis National Transport Entrepreneurs (FNNTE).

Talking to The Rising Nepal, Gautam informed that they had demanded assistant ticket counters and pick and drop areas outside the bus park for the ease of passengers as well as transport operators.

“A certain standard can be set to allow assistant ticket counters associated with the ones operating inside the bus park to be operated outside,” Gautam added. There are thousands of buses, jeeps and vans of over 250 companies operating to different corners outside the Kathmandu Valley. The Gongabu Bus Bark only has a capacity of 750 buses.

 “Transportation sector needs to be accessible and easier for all. We will take necessary steps to ensure it. For now, we are positive of shutting the counters outside the New Bus Park,” said Nabin Manandhar, spokesperson for the KMC.

According to Manandhar, security personnel have been directed to shut such counters. However, the KMC could not provide any data related to closure of a ticket counter outside the bus park.