Kolti Bus Park in Bajura waits for buses to arrive

By Sher Bahadur Sarki,Bajura, Oct. 12: Kolti Bus Park in Budhinanda Municipality–2, situated in the northeastern part of Bajura district, now stands deserted, with no buses arriving or departing.

Long-distance buses that had started operating from Kolti in March 2024 have stopped running after floods and landslides blocked the road section, once again isolating the region from Martadi, the district headquarters.

The primary obstacle is the incomplete bridge over the Bauli stream along the Martadi–Kolti road. Without the bridge, long-route buses can only operate up to Martadi, leaving Kolti locals without direct public transport.

“In the winter, we could travel by buses right from our village,” said Radha Karki, a local of Budhinanda–2. “Now, we must walk two to four hours to reach Martadi just to catch a bus. When the bus reached Kolti last year, we were so happy, thinking travel would finally be easier, but the road blockage has made life difficult again.”

Though the road reached the village nearly a decade ago, locals say the irregular transport service has kept travel challenging, particularly during the monsoon season.

Short-distance vehicles such as jeeps and tractors began operating along the Martadi–Dansangu–Kolti route in 2015, but regular bus services only began last year. Due to frequent landslides, however, the buses have once again stopped reaching Kolti.

Despite being open for years, the poor condition of the road and lack of maintenance continue to force locals to walk for an entire day to reach Martadi during rainy months.

Githe Sarki, a local of Budhinanda-9, said Kolti needs a properly functioning bus park to ensure transportation access for the people of northeastern Bajura.

“Last winter, buses reached Kolti after coordination between the District Administration Office and local stakeholders,” he said. “But the service couldn’t continue because of the damaged road.”

Bus operator Ram Chandra Giri said it was impossible to sustain services under current conditions. “We once operated a Jayamalika Yatayat bus to Kolti in 2023, but the road was so bad that the repair costs exceeded our earnings,” he said.

According to officials, the Martadi–Chuthi road section (9 km) has been allocated Rs. 230 million for blacktopping under Dhulikhel Gwalbha Shyam and Shankar Pvt. Ltd., while the Chuthi–Dhamkne (6 km) and Dhamkne–Kolti (26 km) sections were contracted to Baniya Koteshwar JV Pvt. Ltd., Hetauda, for Rs. 620 million.

However, even though the project deadlines expired a year ago, blacktopping work remains incomplete. The Physical Infrastructure Development Office, Achham, has directed contractors to accelerate progress.

“We’ve resumed work in coordination with Budhinanda Municipality to restore road connectivity before Dashain-Tihar,” said Jung Bahadur Thapa, Chief of the Physical Infrastructure Development Office, Achham. “Bulldozers are clearing landslides and working near the Bauli stream.”