KATHMANDU, Sept 22: With the Dashain festival approaching, more than 189,000 people have left the Kathmandu Valley over the past five days.
According to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, this number of passengers travelled out of the Valley in 29,360 public vehicles between September 17 and 21. The vehicles exited the federal capital through the Thankot, Sanga, Dakshinkali, and Balaju checkpoints.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Lokendra Singh Gurung said people from different parts of the country who are living in the Valley for study, business, and employment have started heading to their hometowns to celebrate Dashain.
Cut Down on Public Holidays
A total of 34,556 passengers left the Valley on September 17, 36,100 on September 18, 40,555 on September 19, 34,879 on September 20, and 43,124 on September 21.
Similarly, General Secretary of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, Dek Nath Gautam, said vehicle movement along many highways had been disrupted by landslides this year. Thousands of vehicles were stranded for hours on the Muglin-Narayangadh road section due to obstructions, he added, urging the government to make prompt efforts to reopen the highways.
Large crowds have also been thronging the New Bus Park in Gongabu to secure tickets to travel home for Dashain, the biggest festival of Hindus in Nepal. More than 15,000 passengers are now leaving the Valley from the New Bus Park daily, compared to just 4,000–5,000 on normal days, Gautam said.
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