In view of the upcoming festive season, the Home Ministry has directed security agencies to pay special attention to long-distance vehicles and ensure their smooth mobility amid the obstruction in the Tarai districts.

Although there has been a sharp drop in the movement of vehicles in and out of Kathmandu Valley, the ministry is trying to assure the people of safety on their journey from the Capital to their home districts.

The ministry has directed the authorities to take strict action against those trying to disrupt vehicular movement in the highways.

The protests going on in many districts including Parsa, Dhanusha, Morang, Rupandehi, Banke and Bardiya have disrupted the traffic on highways. Adding to the woes, the fuel shortage has forced entrepreneurs to garage their vehicles.

Ministry spokesperson Laxmi Dhakal said highway patrols had been increased to ensure passenger safety.

On Tuesday, 347 buses left Kathmandu with 13,117 passengers from the Thankot check-post. The number is around 30 percent of the normal flow, according to the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division.

The Armed Police Force that manages highway security has made a special security arrangement for the festivals. The deployment of over 500 personnel to several districts followed violent protests in some areas in the plains. The APF patrols sensitive areas including jungle stretches and small towns.

APF spokesperson Deputy Inspector General Pushpa KC said an additional 200 personnel were sent to Tarai districts while more than 150 personnel were deputed to the central-regional office. More than 150 officials reinforced the posts in Nawalparasi and Kapilvastu.

“Although these teams were deployed after the Tarai unrest, we will retain them until the festivals,” said KC.

Home Ministry officials claim that very few disruptions have been reported in long-haul vehicles and the contingent of goods entering Nepal has been ferried safely to the destinations.

“Protesters attack security personnel from the no man’s land. And we have no right to go there. Officials on the other side of the border are mere spectators,” said Dhakal.