Motor vehicles are stuck in a road congestion near Sunwal along the Butwal-Narayanghat Road. Photo: Himal Press
LUMBINI: The delay in the upgradation of Butwal-Narayanghat section of the East-West Highway has severely impacted the transportation industry. Not only passengers and people living along the road, transport entrepreneurs also are also suffering from the delay.
Sagar PS, who operates air-conditioned buses on this route, expressed his concerns over the sorry state of the road and how it has affected the business of transport entrepreneurs. “Due to the bad road conditions, we are constantly facing unexpected breakdowns and flat tires, which is causing inconvenience to our passengers,” said PS, who operates Seven Star buses. “The poor road conditions are also decreasing the lifespan of our buses. Even the buses we purchased just four years ago already look old.”
The situation has left transport entrepreneurs uncertain about the future of their businesses.
In addition to the constant breakdowns and flat tires, PS also mentioned that the suspension balloons of their buses malfunction frequently, costing them Rs 32,000 each time they need to be repaired or replaced. “We are bearing the brunt of the delayed road construction, which has worsened to the extent that we are struggling to repay bank loans on time,” he added.
According to other transport entrepreneurs, it takes up to six hours to travel the 114-kilometer Narayanghat-Butwal road due to its poor condition. The Department of Roads awarded the contract for the road’s upgrade to China State Construction Engineering Association in December 2018. But the project is not getting the desired momentum, causing significant difficulties for the transportation industry.
Devraj Khanal, another transport entrepreneur, shared a similar experience, stating that transport entrepreneurs were suffering due to the delayed road upgrading works. “If the situation persists, we may have to store our buses in the garage,” he added.
Khanal operates three bus services to Kathmandu from Kapilvastu, Gorusinghe, and Pattharganj every day. He also mentioned that there are 19 diversions between Butwal and Bardaghat, and the section between Bardaghat and Narayanghat is the worst.
The poor road conditions have not only affected the transportation industry but have also caused inconvenience to passengers who have to travel long distances. The delay in the road upgrade works has created uncertainty and financial difficulties for transport entrepreneurs, putting the future of their businesses at risk.
Dadhiram Kharel, the president of Nepal Bus Entrepreneurs Pvt Ltd, said that the transport entrepreneurs are currently facing one of the worst situations. “The cost of operating buses between Kathmandu and New Delhi is cheaper than operating a bus from Butwal to Kathmandu,” he said.
Entrepreneurs say that fuel and repair expenses have doubled due to the poor condition of the road. “While the construction of roads that serves thousands of people is on hold, the government is investing billions of rupees in airports that do not even see any flight,” Kharel added.
Jivan Banjade, the promoter of Pashchim Nepal Bus Entrepreneurs Pvt Ltd, explained that due to the poor road conditions, buses are consuming 20-25 liters more diesel than usual. He further added that they now have to conduct mechanical tests after every trip instead of monthly maintenance.
While the dusty road is affecting the health of passengers, transport entrepreneurs are also suffering from financial loss and physical strain. “If the situation does not change, we might have to launch a protest to draw the government’s attention towards our plight,” he added.
Banjade said the road construction would not be completed even in the next 25 years if construction moved ahead in the current pace. “We are somehow managing to operate the buses now. It will be very difficult during the monsoon season,” he added.
The Butwal-Narayanghat road upgrading works began on March 22, 2019, with a deadline of 42 months. However, the project has only achieved 25% physical progress even though it has already been four years since the construction works began.
“We hardly see 50 workers at the construction site. How can the work progress in this situation?” Banajde questioned.
The Butwal-Narayanghat road upgrading works began on March 22, 2019, with a deadline of 42 months. However, the project has only achieved 25% physical progress even though it has already been four years since the construction works began.
The DoR has divided the road into two sections: Butwal-Daunne (48km) and Daunne-Gaindakot (66km) to expedite the construction works. However, works on both sections are moving at a slow pace.
Arjun Jung Thapa, Director General of DoR, stated that the Chinese company is not progressing work at the expected pace. “We had decided to terminate the contract with the company. But since the company agreed to expedite the work, we extended the contract by six months,” he added.
Physical progress in the Butwal-Daunne section stands at around 20%, while progress in the Daunne-Narayanghat section is only around 19%.
Once the road is expanded to a four-lane highway, the travel distance between Butwal and Narayanghat is expected to reduce to one and a half hours.
