The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has banned transport operators from setting up bus ticket counters along the Ring Road and within the City’s jurisdiction starting Friday. Such counters will be allowed only inside the New Bus Park at Gongabu.

The Metropolitan City office in a notice published in June first week had announced that all public vehicles operating on long- and medium-routes need to be operated from New Buspark at Gongabu. The notice said all transport ticket counters along the Ring Road and outside the bus park would be removed.

The notice said all long- and medium-route vehicles including micro buses and jeeps should pick and drop their passengers only at the New Bus Park.

“We removed all the ticket desks and their sign boards outside the Gongabu bus park and at Kalanki,” said Raju Nath Pandey, chief of the City Police. When asked if the New Buspark has the capacity to accommodate all public transport vehicles, he said, “The vehicles do not stay at one place. They will be moving day and night, so there will be enough space,” said Pandey.

He said the City has already removed the ticket booths outside the Gongabu bus park and at Kalanki, and will clear all such booths from Balkhu, Balaju, Machhapokhari, Koteshwar and Gaushala areas.

Although many have welcomed the City’s drive as the roadside ticket counters caused crowding on the pavement, inconvenience for pedestrians and caused traffic jams, transport operators have opposed the City’s decision to bar long-route vehicles from picking and dropping passengers from bus stops inside the Ring Road.

“KMC’s decision to clear the messy counters is a welcome move. But the ban on long- and medium route vehicles from stopping inside the Ring Road is impractical,” said Saroj Sitaula, senior vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs.

“We are in talks with the KMC seeking a compromise,” said Sitaula. He said Nepal Transport Independent Workers’ Organisation, Nepal Transport Workers’ Association and All Nepal Transport Worker’ Association are in talks with City officials.

Earlier, in February, after the City decided to remove ticket booths outside the Gongabu bus park, transport operators had organised a protest in the area that turned violent and saw at least two police vans and a temporary police station burnt. Also the Lhotse Mall was vandalised and a mobile phone shop looted. Transport operators had criticised Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt Ltd, the company that operates the New Bus Park, for unilaterally deciding to remove the ticket booths. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City in 1999 had awarded the Gongabu bus park operation contract to the company for 45 years.