June 14: Long and medium-distance vehicles heading outside the Kathmandu Valley will operate their services from Gongabu-based New Bus Park, effective from June 16.

Organizing a press conference in the capital on Tuesday, the Microbus and Jeep Coordination Committee said vehicles, which are being operated from different places of Kathmandu, will now be operated from the New Bus Park.

The committee Coordinator Rajendra Acharya said that they have decided to operate jeeps and microbuses from the New Bus Park in accordance with the decision of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC). The KMC had on June 2 urged the stakeholders to operate all kinds of vehicles traveling outside the Kathmandu Valley from the New Bus Park.

"We are ready to implement the decision of the local government. The KMC should strictly ask all bodies concerned to implement the decision. We are ready to support KMC," Acharya said.

Long-haul transportation services, especially those involving microbuses and jeeps, are currently in operation by setting up counters at different places including Sundhara, Balkhu, Kalanki, Balaju, Machhapokhari, Gongabu and Koteshwar.

Acharya urged passengers to get tickets from the counters located at the bus park. He also requested the KMC to make arrangements for 'pick-up and drop' for a certain period of time in the previous places for the convenience of the passengers while operating the microbus and jeep services from the New Bus Park.

Prior to this, the government had implemented similar rules for night buses in late December.

As per the decision, all night buses leaving the Kathmandu Valley with passengers for their destinations have get off from the New Bus Park in Gongabu and should also be parked at the bus park.

Senior Superintendent of Police Rajendra Prasad Bhatta, the move is aimed at reducing road accidents and traffic jams.   

The parking lot at the New Bus Park has the capacity of parking more than 2,000 vehicles at a time. The Bus Park which spans across 161 ropanis of land was constructed in 2056 BS under the public private partnership. Passenger buses leave the Bus Park for more than 60 districts. -- RSS