Buses exiting Pokhara Bus Park. Photo; Himal Press
POKHARA: Among those residing in Pokhara, the capital of Gandaki Province and a tourism hub, the largest number of people leaving during Dashain are from Dhading. Consequently, most vehicles departing from Pokhara are bound for Dhading. This has been a long-standing practice.
Yogendra Bahadur KC, the chairperson of the Prithvi Highway Bus Operators Company, said the majority of vehicles leaving Pokhara during Dashain are headed for Dhading. “This year, however, there has been a sharp decline in the number of people leaving Pokhara for Dhading,” KC added.
According to KC, the company dispatched 500 vehicles from the start of the festival until Tika to Dhading last year. Now, barely five vehicles depart daily, he added.
The Prithvi Highway Bus Operators Company, with about 1,300 buses, is one of the largest bus companies in Nepal. Headquartered in Pokhara, the company operates daily services from Pokhara to various major cities across the country.
Heavy rainfall on September 27 and 28 caused floods, landslides, and inundations in various parts of the country, resulting in significant loss of life and property. This disaster led to the destruction of major highways, with some still blocked. Due to the natural disaster that occurred just before the Dashain festival, people are reluctant to undertake long journeys.
KC said they have been running nearly empty buses due to the lack of passengers. According to him, a 30-seater bus left for Kathmandu from Syangja district headquarters, Waling, with just two passengers on Monday and returned with 28 on board. “Our operating cost for the round trip from Waling to Kathmandu is around Rs 42,000. But we are not getting passengers,” he added.
Chairperson KC estimates that only 15,000 passengers will leave Pokhara by the day of Tika, i.e., Saturday, using the company’s vehicles this Dashain. “Around 5,000 left Pokhara by Wednesday evening. We estimate another 10,000 will leave Pokhara by Saturday,” he added.
According to the District Traffic Office, Kaski, around 20,000 people have left Pokhara via three exit points since the beginning of the Dashain festival. Gagangauda on Prithvi Highway, Simpani on Pokhara-Baglung Road, and Chhorepatan on Siddhartha Highway are the major exit points from Pokhara.
“Last year, an estimated 50,000 people left Pokhara during Dashain. This year, the number of passengers is not even 20% of last year,” KC noted.
To minimize potential accidents during the festival season, the District Police Office in Kaski has set up passenger assistance centers in different parts of the city. Shobha Pandey, Chief of the District Traffic Police Office in Kaski, said that these centers have been established at Prithvi Chowk, Bindhyabasini Bus Park, Tourist Bus Park, Chhorepatan, Tal Chowk, and Nayapul.
