Kathmandu. The Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs (FNNTE) has decided to give priority to online bus ticket booking for the management of public transport in view of the festivals. Issuing a press release, General Secretary of the Federation Deknath Gautam issued a directive to make the management of public transport easy, safe and systematic during the festival season.

The Federation has issued the directive to make passenger safety, smooth movement and operation of public transport systematic in view of the risk of heavy rainfall and floods and landslides across the country.

The Federation has urged the Department of Transport Management, Nepal Police, Traffic Police, Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt Ltd and related consumer organizations to carry out effective monitoring. General Secretary Gautam said that arrangements have been made for advance ticket booking in public transport during the festival period and to give priority to online booking in ticket sales, the vehicles should be operated only with the identity details of the passengers.

Likewise, the Federation has also demanded coordination with the bodies concerned for effective monitoring of passenger vehicles entering and out of the Kathmandu Valley.

The federation has also directed to control the sale of tickets through unauthorized counters, identity cards and people who are not wearing uniforms. It has been emphasized that passengers should travel only with compulsory tickets while traveling in public vehicles, action should be taken if they travel under the influence of alcohol and tickets should be taken only from official counters or employees with identity cards.

The Federation has also urged the authorities concerned to make arrangements for feeding food and snacks to the passengers only at the places where the drivers and employees meet the criteria set by the Government of Nepal, to continuously monitor the main roads and highways taking into consideration the possibility of flood and landslide, to carry out necessary maintenance and landslide controls.

The Federation has stated that information will be issued on time after holding discussions with the stakeholders regarding the arrangement of necessary vehicles during the festival period, opening the route permit of passenger vehicles, booking tickets in advance and movement of big vehicles. Similarly, the Federation has also urged the government to check the health condition of the drivers in the long-route vehicles, to make arrangements for another driver in place of the sick driver and to make arrangements to have at least two drivers in the public vehicles plying on long routes.

The federation has also directed not to employ minors below the age of 18 years for driving and other jobs, and to carry out effective monitoring and monitoring as the number of vehicles and the risk of road accidents may increase during the festival period. The federation has said that necessary information about the date and time of opening tickets in advance will be issued later after further discussions on the condition of roads and weather as the festival approaches.