Himal Press 
File photo
KATHMANDU: Tourist bus services to different destinations from Kathmandu have been disrupted after a section of the Prithvi Highway collapsed at Krishnabhir in Dhading.
The Prithvi Highway has been closed since August 30 after about 120 meters of the road collapsed due to erosion caused by floods in the Trishuli River. Although authorities have designated alternative routes via Hetauda and mid-hills highway sections of Gorkha and Dhading, operators say longer tourist buses cannot negotiate the narrow, single-lane alternative roads. As a result, tourist buses have remained off the roads for the past 10 days.
The highway is a vital artery connecting Kathmandu with the rest of the country. As the main road linking the capital with major cities and tourist destinations, it carries a large volume of passenger and commercial traffic. No alternative road can handle the same traffic volume.
Bhishma Prasad Neupane, president of the Tourist Bus Association of Nepal (TBAN), said the road collapse at Krishnabhir had affected nearly 200 tourist buses.
“Some 40-45 tourist buses used to leave the capital for destinations such as Pokhara, Sauraha and Lumbini, and an equal number would leave for Kathmandu,” Neupane said. “Only two or three small buses capable of seating around 25 people are leaving Pokhara for Kathmandu now via alternative roads.”
Neupane said the disruption had affected foreign tourists who preferred to travel by road.
Many foreign tourists prefer tourist buses because they are cheaper than flights and offer an opportunity to enjoy the journey by road. They are also comfortable, hygienic and safer compared to other buses.
“Since tourist buses are large, they cannot negotiate the bends on the narrow alternative road. That is why we have not been able to operate them on routes designated by the authorities,” he said. “The disruption has affected hundreds of people, including drivers and helpers, who depend on this business.”
While work to open a new track along the flood-damaged section at Krishnabhir is progressing rapidly, Neupane said it was merely an immediate alternative arrangement and does not offer a long-term solution.
“Landslides in Krishnabir have been affecting the Prithvi Highway for a long time. The government needs to find a long-term solution to this perennial problem. Maybe it is high time it developed a track on the other side of the Trishuli,” he added.
