With Dashain in the corner, authorities plan to open advance ticket bookings for public vehicles within a week, even as floods and landslides continue to disrupt major roads across the country.

By this point in previous years, the Department of Transport Management, in coordination with transport operators, would have already opened bookings. But weeks of heavy rain have washed away bridges and damaged roads at several locations, raising concerns over whether long-distance travel will be safe during the country’s biggest festival.

Director General of the Department of Transport Management Rajeev Pokharel said a decision on bookings would be made within days as the weather improves. “We have already held a discussion with the concerned agencies about preparations for the festival,” Pokharel said. “The weather is improving, and we will make a decision after assessing the weather.”

The department has written to the Department of Roads asking it to repair damaged roads, fill potholes and arrange temporary diversions where necessary, Pokharel said.

Through the home ministry, it has also asked chief district officers to ensure that hotels and roadside facilities along major highways provide fresh food and proper toilets during the festival period, he said. “We have started preparations to set up passenger assistance desks at various locations in the Kathmandu Valley,” Pokharel said. “The decision to open bookings has been delayed because floods and landslides have damaged road infrastructure. We expect to decide on the bookings within a few days.”

The weather outlook is also easing some of the concerns. “The weather is gradually clearing, and the risk of rain appears to be low,” said Bibhuti Pokharel, spokesperson for the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. “There are no immediate signs of significant rainfall. Even if rain occurs, it is likely to be limited to one or two places in the hills.”

Transport operators, however, say improved weather alone is not enough.

Punya Prasad Sitaula, also known as Saroj, chair of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs (FNNTE), said bookings could be opened once the roads are made safe. “There is no problem with opening bookings. But first, the government needs to create conditions that allow passengers to reach their destinations safely,” Sitaula said. “There is no record of anyone being unable to reach home during Dashain simply because they could not get a ticket. We will make sure passengers do not face a ticket shortage this year.”

The recent heavy rains have left road conditions far worse than they were before, he said. “It is wrong to sit in Kathmandu and assume that all roads across the country are in good condition,” Sitaula said.

Around 2 million people leave the Kathmandu Valley during Dashain each year. The government typically relaxes route permit requirements nationwide during the festival to accommodate the surge in travel. People head home by buses, private vehicles, reserved vehicles and air.

The federation has also asked transport operators not to raise fares during the festival. “We have asked vehicle operators not to increase fares during the festival despite rising petrol and diesel prices,” Sitaula said. “They have been told to charge the existing fares.”

Traffic volumes on roads leading out of the Valley rise sharply during Dashain, putting additional pressure on already damaged roads. “Potholes are a perennial problem,” Sitaula said. “Local, provincial and federal governments need to work together to repair them.”

Key road links remain disrupted

Sunday’s floods cut road links between Lamjung and Manang, Parbat and Baglung, and Myagdi and Mustang. Bridges and the approach roads leading to them were washed away, bringing vehicle movement to a halt in the affected areas.

About 15,000 vehicles use the Nagdhunga-Muglin road section every day. The Roads Department says traffic can more than triple during the festival period. The Krishnabhir section remains a particular concern.

Landslides continue to disrupt traffic at several points between Nagdhunga and Muglin, said Suresh Paudel, a senior divisional engineer at the Development Cooperation Implementation Division at the Department of Roads.  “We have arranged for two-way traffic through Krishnabhir. Once traffic resumes, we will inspect the site and decide what needs to be done,” Paudel said. “We will assess the situation on the ground and prepare a separate plan to make the road safer for the festival period.”

Traffic on the BP Highway, which sustained damage along 30.5 kilometres during the floods in 2024, is currently halted. Movement was suspended on Friday.

Suman Yogesh, chief of the Road Division Office in Bhaktapur, said crews were working to reopen the highway by Tuesday. “After that, if there are still problems ahead of Dashain, we will carry out further improvements,” Yogesh said. “Vehicles will operate on sections that have been permanently repaired.”

The road normally sees around 4,000 to 5,000 vehicles a day. During Dashain, the figure rises to between 9,000 and 10,000, and the road division says repairs will be carried out with that additional pressure in mind.

Work is also underway to reopen the road linking Nuwakot and Rasuwa, said Shyam Bahadur Khadka, chief of the Maintenance Division at the Department of Roads. “The road through the Betrabati cliff is in the final stage of reopening,” Khadka said. 

He said they were assessing the damage to roads and bridges caused by the Kaligandaki river.

The department and its project offices have already deployed road-maintenance equipment at various locations to prepare the roads for Dashain, he said. “We expect to fill potholes at different locations before Dashain,” Khadka said. 

Department of Roads Director General Vijay Jaisi said damaged highways and road sections would be repaired and made usable before the festival. “In some places, floods have washed away the approach roads to bridges that connect districts, and we are working to rebuild those access roads so the districts can be connected again within a few days,” Jaisi said. “We will soon begin road maintenance work specifically targeting the festival period.”

Committee calls for more buses, safety checks

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives’ Infrastructure Development Committee has directed the Ministry of Infrastructure Development to deploy enough vehicles to match passenger demand during Dashain, Tihar, Chhath and other major festivals, and to operate them from designated bus parks.

The committee also called for ticket sales only from designated locations and for arrangements to ensure passengers board and get off in safe places.

At a meeting on Monday, the committee directed the government to assess road conditions and potential hazards in advance, prepare alternative routes, conduct technical inspections of vehicles, ensure drivers get adequate rest and enforce safe speeds during the festive travel season.

Committee chair Ashish Gajurel also directed authorities to prevent vehicles from carrying more passengers than their capacity, implement the integrated bus park policy effectively and improve coordination among the agencies involved in managing festive travel.

The committee said passengers should be able to obtain tickets easily without facing shortages, excessive fares, irregularities or fraud.

It also directed the ministry to prepare and immediately implement a plan for enforcing approved fares and setting up an effective mechanism for handling passenger complaints.