KATHMANDU: The Department of Transport Management has decided to the lift the requirement of route permits for public transport vehicle, considering approaching Dashain festival.

Since September 22, the vehicles would not require the route permit for two weeks.

A meeting of the agencies concerned held at the Department on Tuesday took a decision to lift the route permit from Ghatasthapana (Sept 22) to October 8 so that public transportation would be eased for the Dashain festival.

Similarly, advance ticket bookings would be continued for both long and short routes.

The transport entrepreneurs are asked to manage online ticket booking and cooperate with the concerned bodies for the passengers vehicles to leave and enter the Kathmandu Valley.

The meeting further decided to ask the ticket counters to provide passenger tickets upon the production of clear identity cards. The passengers are also requested to compulsorily bear the ticket while travelling.

Chairman of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs’ National Federation, Bijay Bahadur Swar, informed that even the ticket counters will have staffs with identify card and in uniform. Unauthorized counters would not be run, he added.

As per decision, heavy equipment (trailer) except those ferrying foods and other essential goods would not be allowed running on the roadway from Narayanghat to Kathmandu from Ghatasthapana to Poornima, the last day of Dashain festival.

Fifteen citizen help desks would be set up in different places of the Kathmandu Valley with the collaboration of Sipradi-Nada.