KATHMANDU –The uncertainty over whether or not the advance bookings of bus tickets for Dashain festival would be opened has not gone as the transport entrepreneurs and government have not arrived at consensus.
In the previous years, transport entrepreneurs used to open the pre-bookings one month before the annual festival. But this time around, the transport entrepreneurs have been insisting that the freeze on the bank accounts should be lifted. The hassles faced by people every year are likely to worsen this year.
The government has frozen the bank accounts of transport entrepreneurs declaring an end to transport syndicate. However, the transport entrepreneurs have now used the pre-bookings for Dashain as the bargaining chip to meet their demands, government officials say.
“The government has frozen all the bank accounts. Transport workers are forced to work without salary. How can we do the transactions of millions of rupees during Dasahin? It wouldn’t be practical to open advance booking under such circumstances,” said Saroj Sitaula, General Secretary of Federation of Nepali National Transport Entrepreneurs General Secretary Saroj Sitaula.
The other demand of transport entrepreneurs is to raise fare of public transportation. At a time when the transport fare has not been revised for the past two years, the transport entrepreneurs have been pushing the issue raising fare ahead of Dahain festival
“We have been demanding the government integrate the fare of public transport. But the government has been turning a deaf ear,” said Sitaula. He added that there is no alternative to increasing the fare because the government increased the fuel price on Wednesday and the market price has also increased.
But the government has been planning to increase the transportation fare only after Dashain and Tihar festivals. Spokesperson of the Department Transport Management Gokarna Prasad Upadhyay said, “We have been holding discussion on fare revision with the entrepreneurs.”
Upadhyay, who expressed optimism about possible agreement in the next phase, ruled out the possibility of opening advance booking without agreement with the transport entrepreneurs.
He said the department can’t do anything about the frozen bank account of the transport entrepreneurs. It was the Home Ministry’s decision to freeze the bank accounts.
However, Information Officer at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Eek Dev Adhikari said it was irresponsible move to stop advance bookings of tickets over the issue of bank accounts, and warned of action if the transport entrepreneurs refused to comply.
“It is a reckless move to stop the pre-bookings ahead of the festive season citing the frozen bank accounts,” he said. “We have directed all the transport entrepreneurs to register as company. There is no question of freezing the bank account of those abiding by the rule.”
Adhikari further said that it hasn’t been late still for opening the advance booking and warned of taking action against if the bookings were not opened. According to a data provided by Traffic Police, over two million people depart from Kathmandu Valley to reunite with their families for Dashain celebration. The delay in opening advance bookings of bus tickets has put the holiday travel plans of the people in uncertainty. General public say that they decide to go home until the pre-booking is opened.
