Ticket bookings for public transport during the Dashain festival will open this Saturday. Following discussions with stakeholders, the Department of Transport Management announced that tickets will be available online and at counters to manage the expected surge of nearly two million travellers leaving the Kathmandu Valley for the festivities.

According to the department’s Director General, Rajiv Pokharel, transport operators will facilitate online bookings. “We have instructed operators to arrange online bookings wherever possible,” he said. “For counter bookings, passengers must obtain tickets only from official staff wearing uniforms and identification badges.”

Around two million people are estimated to leave the Kathmandu Valley during Dashain. The department has introduced 20-point directives to ensure safe and hassle-free travel. Key measures include mandatory checks for alcohol consumption by drivers at major entry and exit points and the requirement for two drivers on long-distance routes. Additionally, those under 18 cannot work as assistant drivers.

To assist travellers during Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath festivals, citizen help desks will be established at major locations such as Nagdhunga, Kalanki, Swayambhu, Halchowk, Machhapokhari, Gongabu Bus Park, Chabahil, Tilganga, Koteshwar, Jagati, Satdobato, Balkhu, Dakshinkali, Sundhara, and Sangha in Kavre. An inspection team comprising officials from various agencies will monitor travel arrangements with support from provincial transport ministries.

Public transport operating on long and medium-distance routes must follow a designated queue system. Transport expert Ashish Gajurel noted that although bookings are open each year, passengers face difficulties. "Bus operators don’t increase the number of buses during Dashain, despite rising demand. Authorities must increase the number of buses to ease travel," he said.

Saroj Sitaula, senior vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, however, argued that ‘unnecessary’ vehicle checks should be avoided to prevent inconvenience for passengers and drivers. He also highlighted the need to repair potholes on roads to ensure smooth travel.

Earlier, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal instructed the Department of Roads to complete road repairs nationwide before Ghatasthapana, the first day of the 15-day Dashain festival. The department reported that repairs are underway but have been delayed by the monsoon.

The Narayanghat-Butwal road section, part of the East-West Highway, remains a major concern, with only 52.7 percent of its upgrade completed after six years of construction and multiple deadline extensions. The Meteorological Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has predicted chances of rainfall in various places of the country for a couple of days more, raising concerns about travel difficulties during Dashain. Other problematic sections include Nagdhunga-Mugling and Mugling-Pokhara, with landslides and potholes reported along various highways, including the Mid-Hill, Madan Bhandari, Hulaki, and BP highways.