From now on, all night passenger buses leaving the Kathmandu Valley for their destinations have to be parked and get off from the New Bus Park in Gongabu. The move is for reducing road accidents and traffic jams, said Senior Superintendent of Police Rajendra Prasad Bhatta, spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office.

Before, night passenger buses leaving the Valley would depart from various places of the Valley including Chabahil, Gaushala, Koteshwor, Kalanki, Gongabu and Machhapokhari. And their rampant parking elsewhere has caused traffic jams and road accidents, he said.

“Night passenger vehicles leaving from the Valley from various parts have caused traffic congestion. So, this new arrangement has been made,” he said. President of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, Bijaya Bahadur Swar stressed the need for the transport sector to provide service to people in an easy way. “Transport entrepreneurs have no concerns about making night passenger vehicles leave from the Bus Park. It will be good to manage the pick-and-drop service for passengers in a manageable way.”

Arrangements should be made for the buses to pick and drop passengers elsewhere along the Ring Road, and park at the Bus Park, he demanded.He also expressed his concern about the increment of fines for violating traffic rules from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500. A fully authorised transport authority should be formed to manage the sector, he viewed. The parking lot at the Bus Park has capacity of parking more than 2,000 vehicles at a time. The parking lot spanning 161 ropani lands was contracted in 2056 BS between the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd. under the public private partnership. Passenger buses leave the Bus Park for more than 60 districts.