Martadi, headquarters of Bajura, faces traffic congestion

By Sher Bahadur Sarki

Bajura, Sept 6 : It has been a decade since buses started reaching Martadi, the district headquarters of Bajura, from different parts of the country.

According to locals, at least 10 buses from far away – one each from Kathmandu, Nepalgunj and Attariya, four from Mahendranagar and three from Dhangadhi – arrive in Martadi on a daily basis. There are tens of other public vehicles, including buses and jeeps, operating locally.

However, the buses are forced to park on the road in lack of a proper bus park. The parking along the roadside has not only caused traffic congestion but also increased the risk of accidents.

"There is only one problem in Martadi and it is to find a proper parking space. It is an unnecessary trouble," said Ram Chandra Giri, owner of the bus numbered Sudurpashchim State-01-Kha-3054.

Giri informed that he had to reach either the road near the Nepal Telecom Office or Tufan Danda or Gairi Bazaar to park his bus. "Wherever we go, we park on the roadside, not at an open space because there are none," he added.

Bus operators informed that the glasses of four buses parked on the roadside were vandalised in the past two months.

"The buses are parked at risk in the open. On the other hand, it has covered a large space of the narrow roads in Martadi affecting local commuters. Both the bus operators and the public have been affected by a lack of a bus park in the area," echoed locals of Gairi Bazaar.

"Even passengers struggle to find their buses as there is no proper space for the vehicles to park," said Jiwan Thapa, chief of Gairi Bazaar-based ticket counter.

Nevertheless, Martadi is not the only place without a bus park in the district. Bajura's Malika, Ritha, Betalmandau, Bamka, Phalasain, Tanprisera and Balde among others also do not have a bus park.

"There is no bus park throughout the district, even in its headquarters. We are not demanding an advanced bus park. As the first step, only an open space to park a few vehicles will be enough for us," said Bir KC, a local of Balde, a village in Ward No. 2 of Budhiganga Municipality in Bajura.

Meanwhile, a process started constructing a bus park at Palta, an area in Ward No. 8 of Badimalika Municipality, four years ago. However, it has not been completed yet.

"A piece of land has been procured for the construction of a bus park in Martadi. However, the land is rugged and unfit for bus park construction. There have been some issues obstructing the construction from starting," said Mayor Ammar Khadka of Badimalika Municipality.