National
Dashain travel bookings open
The Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs Association has opened the annual pre-Dashain bookings from Tuesday. A meeting of the federation took the decision on Monday after the government on Saturday agreed to increase public transport fares by 10 percent.The Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs Association has opened the annual pre-Dashain bookings from Tuesday. A meeting of the federation took the decision on Monday after the government on Saturday agreed to increase public transport fares by 10 percent.
Advance booking for bus tickets had remained uncertain for long as the agitated transport operators associated with the FNNTEA had demanded the government unfreeze their bank accounts and adjust the fares in view of rising fuel prices.
Though they had earlier said pre-bookings would start from September 21, those associated with the FNNTEA did not take bookings. Only private transport companies started selling tickets from September 21 as agreed between the FNNTEA and the Department of Transport Management (DoTM)FNNTEA President Yogendra Karmacharya said ticket booking will go uninterrupted from Tuesday. He said all the public bus operators had been directed to open bookings and facilitate hundreds of thousands of people leaving Kathmandu Valley to celebrate the country’s biggest festival. The FNNTEA has also formed a team to monitor sales of bus tickets to the public in a hassle-free manner.
Around three million people travel out of Kathmandu to celebrate Dashain with their families and relatives. Given the huge surge in demand, securing tickets to visit home for the celebrations has always been a struggle for many.
Following the agreement between the government and the federation, the Department of Transport Management on Sunday fixed the new fares for public transport vehicles plying long routes as well as for goods carriers.
As per the DoTM’s new tariff, the fare for Kathmandu-Kadadbhitta (610 km) has increased by Rs107. Bus charge for this route was Rs1065 earlier. The fare for the 688 km Kathmandu-Dhangadhi route has shot up by Rs120. Now travellers have to pay Rs1,321 to travel to Dhangadhi from Kathmandu.
The fare for Kathmandu-Sanphebagar (900 km) via Dhangadhi-Sitagathi has increased by Rs170. Cost of travel on this route was Rs1703 earlier. Tickets for the Kathmandu-Attariya-Bhasalgadi (814km) route now cost Rs1675, from the earlier Rs1,523.
DoTM officials said vehicles providing deluxe services were allowed to charge 20 percent extra, with the department’s permission.