16th December 2020, Kathmandu
Use of technology: Easy to purchase a bus ticket in the new bus park
Radhika Oli, who was met at the new bus park of Gongbu on Saturday at 4:00 pm to go to Dang by bus No. 6 Kha 6301, easily bought a bus ticket. She was found in the bus park at 2:00 pm and seemed happy to get a ticket through the computer system. “Earlier, when we came to the bus park to go to Dang, the employees of the public bus were harassing us. This time, we could easily go to the ticket counter of the bus going to Dang and get a comfortable ticket,” she says.
Tek Bahadur Sunuwar, who reached the new bus park at 4:45 pm to get a ticket for bus No. Ba 5 Kha 1553 of Dhaulagiri Transport Service to go to Burtibang, was also very happy to get the ticket easily. He said, “Before, there was a handwritten ticket. The full name was not written on the ticket. Now, it has become easier as the full name, destination, bus number, bus departure time, bus seat number, and amount are clearly written through the computer system.”
Similarly, Kisan Oli, who arrived at New Bus Park at 1:00 pm to buy a ticket for bus No. Na 6 Kha 1388 to Bhalubang at 3:00 pm, also found it very easy to get a ticket. He said that there was no such situation now as people used to be forced to buy bus tickets.
With the use of technology, passengers will be able to easily find out which buses will leave from the new bus park to destinations across the country at what time. These are only representative events. The Lhotse Multi-Purpose Company which has been operating the bus park recently has introduced the use of technology in collaboration with various transport companies, making it easier for passengers to get tickets.
Using a six-month shut down due to a growing coronavirus infection, the Lhotse Multipurpose Company has introduced the technology into the new bus park as directed by the government. Chairman of Lhotse Multipurpose Pralika Deepak Kunwar says that arrangements have been made to reduce the congestion at the ticket counter inside the new bus park by using technology to prevent the spread of corona infection.
“With the change of time, the government has envisioned ‘Digital Nepal’ and we are working towards fulfilling it,” he said. Although a computer system has been installed in 30 counters in the new bus park so far, only 12 counters have provided service to the passengers. Preparations have been made to operate the remaining counters soon.
Lhotse Multipurpose Company currently operates in Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, Dhankuta, Sunsari, Jhapa, Morang, Terhathum, Udaipur, Siraha, Saptari of Eastern Nepal as well as Dhangadhi, Mahendranagar, Bardia, Banke, Dailekh, Rukum, Rolpa, Bhaluwang, Vurtiwang, Has been using the computer to cut tickets.
Pashupati Poudel, an employee working at the counter of Dhaulagiri-Gandaki Transport Authority, says that it takes more time to buy a ticket through technology than a handwritten ticket. “Passengers are a bit embarrassed as it takes time to get a one-person ticket through technology even when handwritten tickets are for five people,” he said. He said that the Dhaulagiri-Gandaki Transport Corporation has already made arrangements to get bus tickets through E-Service.
A GPS system is being installed on every bus to know the location of the bus and the number of road accidents that may be caused due to the negligence of the driver and the bad condition of the road. Vehicles traveling from the new bus park in more than 50 districts from Taplejung in the east to Jumla in the west. About 1,500 vehicles have been traveling from the bus park daily.
The new bus park operating in an area of 161 ropanis in Kathmandu Metropolitan City-26 has been becoming well-organized lately. The Bishnumati Corridor has been constructed on its western side. The new bus park was brought into operation in 2056 BS under a ‘public-private-partnership’ agreement between Keshav Sthapit, the chief of the Kathmandu Metropolitan Corporation, and Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, chairman of Lhotse Multipurpose Pralika.
A separate bus park has been constructed inside the bus park for parking buses coming from outside the district and buses operating in the valley. Lhotse Multipurpose Company has set up a health treatment and counseling center in collaboration with Grandi International Hospital keeping in mind the health of drivers, co-drivers, and passengers. The center has been providing free counseling and first aid.
