People from all walks of life in the valley rely on public buses, which account for 20 percent of all vehicles in Kathmandu. Regular commuters are familiar with the ordeal of long waits to travel in cramped, congested buses with hardly any space to stand. If they don’t do so, they either miss work in the morning or don’t make it home in the evening. Not only does this situation discomfort people, it also sometimes leads to accidents. To add to the commuters’ woes, drivers and their helpers often misbehave, and women are regularly harassed. Our public buses thus fail the people they are supposed to serve.

The problem, however, is not new. It has persisted for decades. Elections come and go. Political parties make people’s woes a tool to win votes and vow to address their plight, but the vow is soon forgotten. Even for the implementation of existing laws, there is little commitment. The National Transport Policy 2001 aims to develop a “reliable, cost-effective and sustainable transport system.” The Motor Vehicles and Transportation Management Act of 1993 prohibits taking in passengers in excess of seat numbers in public vehicles, but we hardly see these measures implemented.

While traffic police in the valley are making some effort, it is insufficient. They fine the buses that violate traffic rules, including overcrowding, and suspend the licence of repeat offenders for six months. However, due to a lack of constant monitoring and strict punishment, buses again overflow with passengers the next day.

Studies show that a planned public transport system reduces traffic congestion and decreases air pollution. Public transport is also cost-effective for many. But the crammed buses in Nepal are also a risk for the physical and mental well-being of commuters. They are prone to catching contagious diseases, such as Covid-19, amid the fear of another virus surge in the country.

The private sector solely handles Nepal’s public transport. People have no affordable options other than to rely on syndicated vehicles or to buy their own. Years of negligence and profit maximisation motives have sidelined the issue of commuter comfort. Perhaps there is a need for government intervention. As this is not only an area of concern for traffic police, local governments in the Valley should collaborate with transport offices, public transport operators, and traffic police to ensure safe transport to the general public.

The Covid-19 pandemic hit public transport hard. As a result, bus drivers and helpers, who depended on daily wage, lost their source of income. They also don’t have a sufficient salary, so they strive to maximise the number of trips and carry as many passengers as possible. It is vital to hold them to account for their misdeeds, but it is also important to pay them decent wages so that they can think of providing quality public service rather than only about making a few extra bucks.

Public buses are the only affordable means of transport for many people in the Valley and throughout Nepal. The big roads and road-related infrastructural projects will be futile if people continue to suffer while travelling. Resolving this issue may seem like a daunting task given its complexity. But it is not impossible. Perhaps the new set of parliamentarians and members of the executive branch can get the ball rolling on this.