30,000 passengers book advance tickets in just two days

KATHMANDU: In anticipation of the upcoming major festivals of Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath, a remarkable 29,955 passengers have booked advance bus tickets within just two days. This surge in ticket sales occurred exclusively from the New Bus Park.

The government opened advance ticket booking for the festive season starting from Sept 28.

A recent meeting involving the Department of Transport Management, Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, and the National Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs decided to initiate advance ticket bookings for long-distance vehicles from last Saturday.

According to Pankaj Mall, Human Resource Head of Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd., which operates New Bus Park, 18,365 tickets were sold on Sepy 28, and 11,590 on Sept 29.

Advance ticket sales have commenced for travelers heading to various destinations in the Sudurpaschim region, including Darchula, Dhangadhi, Tikapur, Bajhang, Bajura, Pyuthan, Rukum, and Rolpa, as well as eastern locations like Kakadbhitta, Bhadrapur, Tehrathum, Khandbari, Taplejung, Bhojpur, Ilam, Pashupatinagar, Dharan, and Biratnagar.

For shorter routes along the Prithvi Highway, including Gorkha, Pokhara, Lamjung, Baglung, Myagdi, Syangja, Nuwakot, and Rasuwa, the government plans to open ticket sales soon.

Vijay Bahadur Swarnakar, President of the National Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs, emphasized the federation’s commitment to ensuring safe transportation for travelers heading home for Dashain.

Following three days of disruption due to rainfall, public transportation has begun gradually departing from Kathmandu to various destinations. Statistics indicate that more than 2 million passengers travel out of the valley each year during Dashain.