Advance online ticket booking opens for festivals, two drivers mandatory, what else has been decided?
असोज १, २०८२ १४:२५
Kathmandu: To facilitate transport management during the festivals, public transport operators will continue advance ticket booking for medium- and long-distance routes.
On Tuesday, the Department of Transport Management held discussions with transport entrepreneurs and announced several decisions to make festival travel safer. Following the discussions, transport operators agreed to arrange online booking as much as possible for ticket sales.
It has been decided to effectively monitor passenger vehicles entering and leaving the Valley in coordination with the Department, Nepal Police, Traffic Police, Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd., and consumer organizations, and to ensure that passengers do not travel under the influence of alcohol.
Passengers must carry tickets while traveling in public vehicles, and each vehicle must have an invoice with the passenger’s identity issued from an authorized ticket counter. Drivers are required to make arrangements so that there is no crowding at places where food and snacks are served. The Department and transport operators have also agreed to strictly control ticket sales from unauthorized counters, people without uniforms, and the misuse of identity cards.
The meeting also decided to request concerned authorities to repair the main highways to ensure smooth transport during the festivals. Transport operators will be required to arrange adequate vehicles to meet passenger demand. To ease traffic movement, heavy vehicles including trailers, except those carrying essential goods such as food, will be prohibited from operating on the Narayanghat–Kathmandu road section from 22 September (Ghatasthapana) to 6 October (Purnima). For import and export goods vehicles from third countries, movement on this section will be allowed except during customs office closures.
Route permits for passenger vehicles will remain open throughout Nepal from Ghatasthapana to 8 October, the day before Purnima. However, the ban on certain types of public vehicles due to the special nature of the Narayanghat–Kathmandu road will remain in effect.
The health condition of drivers will be checked across the country, including at major entry and exit points of the Valley. If a driver is found to be intoxicated, the vehicle owner must immediately provide another driver. Similarly, before departing on long routes, the mechanical condition of all passenger vehicles must be inspected. Each long-distance passenger vehicle must have at least two drivers who can take turns during the journey. Transport operators have also agreed not to employ drivers below the age of 18.
As festival traffic is expected to increase significantly, which could raise the risk of road accidents, monitoring will be intensified. To assist passengers during Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath, citizen help desks will be set up at major points in the Valley, including Nagdhunga, Kalanki, Swayambhu, Halchowk, Machhapokhari, New Bus Park, Chabahil, Tilganga, Koteshwor, Jagati, Satdobato, Balkhu, Dakshinkali, Sundhara, and Sanga in Kavre, with the support of Sipradi/NADA and in collaboration with Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
The Department will form monitoring teams with stakeholders for inspections during the festive period, and will also seek support from provincial transport ministries. If a vehicle cannot arrive on time due to road conditions or natural disasters, the transport company must arrange an alternative vehicle for passengers.
पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: असोज १, २०८२ १४:२५
