KATHMANDU, May 12: The Department of Transport Management's decision to take out 26 microbuses plying the Gongabu – Samakhusi – Ratnapark route has added to the transport woes of commuters here.
The Department's crackdown came in wake of the strike called by Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs during which the microbuses flouted the government's instruction to continue transporting the passengers.
Satyakala Dawadi of Baniyatar was forced to travel on foot to Samakhusi after she could not force herself into a crowded microbus. "There is less number of microbuses and I could not find a space to put my foot in a crowded one, so I decided to walk," she said.
Rohit Dahal, who was travelling to Ratnapark from Samakhusi, shared a similar story. "There is no space to board a microbus, how am I supposed to travel," he argued.
These passengers are only representatives of the chaos that has descended upon the commuters traveling in this route. Thousands of commuters are in disarray. A total of 26 microbuses have been taken out of the total of 105 microbuses plying the Gongabu – Galkhopakha – Lainchaur – Ratnapark route.
Samakhusi Transport Entrepreneurs Association's Secretary, Lal Prasad Guragain, said the problem emerged after 26 microbuses were eliminated from the route. "Why were 26 microbuses from Samakhusi eliminated at a time when all vehicles stayed off the road across Nepal?" he questioned.
Stating that an official letter cancelling the route permit of those microbuses had not arrived, Guragain further added that traffic police were taking action against those microbuses if they were found to be plying the route while the rest remained in garage.
Department of Transport Management's Information Official, Tulsiram Aryal, said the department has received an application from the Samakhusi Transport Association to lift the prohibitory order on those microbuses and added that a decision was yet to be taken in regards to further action.
The Samakhusi Transport Association is preparing to introduce 17 bigger buses within May in view of the commuters' necessity.
Associations Chairman, Sanukaji Prajapati, said 17 big buses with a total capacity of 50 seats each will be introduced at an investment of Rs 70 million. RSS
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