Tourist Bus Association of Nepal (TBAN) on Monday urged the government to build a separate tourist bus park near Thamel.

Businesses in tourism bid to provide better of public transport facilities to tourists travelling out from Kathmandu.

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday announced to shift the bus park from Kantipath.

In a press statement released Monday, the TBAN requests the government not to shift the bus park far away from Thamel.

Thirty-five private companies run their temporary bus park in Kantipath since 2003. Every morning over five dozen of tourist buses form a queue from Kantipath to Jamal area.

TBAN General Secretary Krishna Acharya said, “Every day, thousands of tourists travel from Thamel which is the main tourist hub. The bus park should not be shifted far away from Thamel.”

 Other TBAN officials concur shifting the tourist bus park far way from Thamel will not help develop tourism.

At present, tourist buses leave Kantipath area by 7 am for Pokhara and Sauraha, the major tourist destination in Nepal linked with better motor way. Guesthouse owners and tourist entrepreneurs said, due to early departure of all buses, many tourists could not leave for Pokhara and Sauraha as per their wishes.

“They have a busy schedule. We have received complaints from tourists saying they do not get tourist buses to travel out of the valley after 7am. If only government could make a permanent one near Thamel, they will not have to rush early in the morning,” said Sandip Adhikari, a Thamel-based tourism businessman.

Thamel Tourism Development Council President Sameer Gurung said with the increase in number of tourists, the number of tourist buses have also increased in Kathmandu. He said Kantipath alone could not hold additional tourist buses. “We have asked an alternative bus park near the area not far away from Thamel,” he said

There are temporary tourist bus parks in Sauraha and Pokhara too. Tourist bus owners operate their buses from private land taken on lease by them.

The government has not given the exact location from where the bus park should be operated, but government officials are hinting it would be shifted quite far from Thamel, citing lack of proper open space. 

“The government is working to bring 1.5 million tourists in Nepal by 2020, and the home ministry has come up with a plan to shift the bus park from Thamel, this will surely cause inconvenience,” said Acharya. 

Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs Central Committee General Secretary Kedar Paudel said, “The government should consider the alternative of Lainchaor and open space in Bishnumati corridor.”