Dashain travel: no decision yet on advance ticket booking, old vehicles to manage passengers

Ghatasthapana, the start of Dashain, falls on Asoj 25, but there is still no decision on when advance ticket booking will open.

The government has said a meeting on Saturday will decide on this.

Because the vehicle registration process has been obstructed for several months, no new public vehicles have been added this time.

The House of Representatives' Infrastructure Development Committee, led by chairperson Ashish Gajurel, has submitted a report on Dashain travel management to Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal.

The committee concluded that around 65,000 vehicles need to be mobilized.

An estimated 1.5 to 1.6 million passengers are expected to leave the Kathmandu Valley alone during the festival.

According to Nepal Police Headquarters, many road sections — including the Jomsom–Korala road in Mustang and the Pasang Lhamu road in Rasuwa — remain fully blocked.

Punya Prasad Sitaula, chairman of the Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs' National Federation, said there is no point opening advance ticket booking unless the roads are repaired.

Entrepreneurs have warned that if damaged roads are not fixed immediately and financial institutions do not ease loan repayment terms, managing transportation during the festival will be difficult.

He said vehicles cannot be run merely on the basis of administrative orders, and urged the government to understand the real condition of the roads.