Banda deters people from leaving Valley for polls

KATHMANDU, NOV 17 - Despite government's repeated assurances of security, the ongoing transportation shutdown enforced by the poll-opposing parties has prevented a large number of voters residing in the Valley from travelling to their villages.

While short-route passengers are leaving the Valley in significant numbers, long-distance travellers are reluctant to go home out of security fears.

According to the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, a total of 7,757 vehicles including two-wheelers have left the Valley since November 11, the first day of the banda called by the CPN-Maoist-led alliance, until Friday.

Transport entrepreneurs said the number of vehicles leaving the Valley at present is one third of the usual number.

“Around 2,500-3,000 vehicles leave the Valley each day with a similar number entering. The number goes up during festivals and occasions like this. But the banda has affected long-route passengers this time around,” said Dol Nath Khanal, general secretary of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs' Association.

Transport entrepreneurs said political parties and their candidates are using a large share of the vehicles to ferry voters.

Shanker Koirala, spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs, did not agree that security concerns have discouraged mofussil populations to leave the Valley.

Citing traffic police's report of vehicular movement for Saturday, Koirala said 1,914 vehicles left the Valley until 4 pm.

“As many as 362 of them were buses. This shows that an overwhelming number of people are travelling irrespective of thebanda . We have deployed an adequate number of personnel to address the security concerns of passengers,” Koirala told the Post.

He said the government has provided enough security for vehicles on highways. Common people, however, say they are wary of travel.

Anju Sharma, who hails from Damak, Jhapa, and is living in Koteshwor, said her family has cancelled their planed trip.

“What is the guarantee that we will not fall victim to bomb blasts? Reports of widespread violence have discouraged people like me to travel,” she said, adding that many of her neighbours are refusing to travel although political parties are themselves bearing the transportation cost.

The parties have offered free transport service after the voters showed reluctance to leave the Valley amid security fears.

“Every party is sending vehicles to the Capital to take voters home. The shutdown has made it even more necessary for parties to provide free transportation to voters,” said a candidate from Chitwan-1.

According to Census 2011, the Kathmandu valley has a total population of 2.5 million. The number of people from outside districts residing here is estimated at one million.