"We got it, three tickets to Mahendranagar for my father, uncle and me. We came last night and there are some people still in queue. Can you believe it? We were the lucky ones!" Kumar exclaimed just as his celebratory lunch was brought to his table. He claims he must get his energy up and eat something now because there is some more waiting to be done. Apparently a few buses that were meant to hit the road yesterday afternoon still had not left the bus park because of the now rampant fuel shortage. The passengers of those buses were stranded in the bus itself.
"My uncle has been praying, repeating the names of every God he knows, hoping we won't suffer the same fate," laughs Kumar.
Neither news of the Indian blockade and concerns of widespread diesel shortage nor the never ending lines in front of the petrol stations around Kathmandu have discouraged the capital dwellers from traveling to their hometowns for the Dashain festivities. Department of Transport Management predicts that there will be a significant drop in the number of vehicles leaving Kathmandu, from 6,000 last year to 4,000 this year. However, in this dire circumstance, these are a lot of people attempting to travel long distances.
"It's been a little more than two weeks now that people have been traveling for Dashain. Considering the political scenario of the country I assume they were concerned that there would be a great hassle to reserve a seat on the buses. They were right, weren't they? We have been selling tickets but there is no guarantee that the buses will move at the scheduled time. This fuel shortage is crippling everybody's movement. People want to go home but there is not much we can do," explains Yogendra Khanal, supervisor at the counters at the bus park.
The ticket booths officially start at five in the morning but Khanal reveals that for the last four days people have actually been sleeping at the bus park itself. He confesses that he was surprised the first time he saw sacks and card board boxes strewn across the grounds. His staffs informed him that people had sat and tried to sleep in the line itself.
"We obviously want the buses to move so we have been reaching out to the government for more fuel supply. We want to make sure that the buses run on full tanks because we have had cases of our drivers and passengers being stuck half way on the road. For example, recently two buses going to Kakarbhita and Dharan were stranded like that. They had to stay on the road for two whole days and it was only when another vehicle came to their rescue with fuel bought in the black market that they could resume their journey," informs Khanal.
Soon enough, he gets a call. As it turns out, another bus that was forced to stop on its way to Karkarbhita had just heard of somebody selling diesel for Rs 130 per liter. The driver who had personally gone out with a gallon in search of the fuel wanted to let Khanal know that the bus and the passengers would finally soon be back on their route. In times of this fuel crisis, this is the type of creative management that people at the bus park have had to resort to, to make sure they can provide their services to people who wish to go home.
"People might wonder why I'm even attempting to go home right now," says Moti Singh Bogati, 30, while trying to soothe his four year old daughter in his arms. "But it's been years since my mother met my family. She hasn't even met my youngest daughter yet and she wished we would visit soon. This is the only time of the year I can plan this family trip," he explains.
Bogati had only called his wife and two daughters to join him an hour earlier. He didn't want them to battle the chaos at the bus park. Further, even after spending almost 12 hours at the bus park to get tickets for Accham, he wasn't certain he would actually get them. He calls the crowd gathered at the counter overwhelming. So much so he decided to settle for tickets to Dhangadi. He consoles his wife saying that since the road leading to Accham is disrupted, changing buses midway might be a wise move after all. He confesses he has had second thoughts about traveling during this fuel crisis but then again, he says he knows his mother is waiting for a Dashain visit.
For Nepalis, the whole essence of Dashain is tied to the prospect of family reunions and it seems to be the reason why many are choosing to bear with the inconveniences of fuel shortage at the bus park. Pravash Rai, 18, for instance was stuck in one of the unfortunate buses that Mahesh Kumar was talking about. Though destined for Jhapa, the bus had to be grounded all night at the bus park with all of its passengers because it did not have enough diesel in its tank.
"We thought we would be out of the valley by yesterday afternoon but it's already 11 in the morning and there still is no talk of filling the tank yet. All of us slept here in our seats, ate nearby and have been using toilets at the bus park itself. Personally I enjoy Kathmandu but the reason I'm traveling to Jhapa is my family. I haven't met them in four years," says Rai.
Surprisingly the atmosphere in the bus was a calm one. Rai too confirms that though the passengers are frustrated at the situation, they have taken it all in their stride. They have been passing their time chatting with one another, reading books, watching movies in laptops and browsing the net. As the waiting hours stretched into the night, there apparently was one outburst from a single passenger but according to Rai he too quickly calmed down.
"We all know that the times are unpredictable. I personally never expected to spend a night at the bus park but the situation is precarious and you never know what you might have to endure. At the moment, the best we can do is adapt," says Rai.
It seems everybody has realized that. There are some disgruntled voices here and there at the bus park in Balaju from where the majority of buses leave Kathmandu but largely despite the immense difficulties planning their travels, Nepalis are patiently waiting for their turn to go home for Dashain.
There's chaos and a constant buzz of noise around the area as the lines for reservations snake around the length of the ground and back again. Tired bus counter officials try to keep up with the frantic requests of the passengers but judging by the frowns and disappointed looks of many, it's clear that even their best efforts are not enough. Even those who have a ticket, roam around looking rather worried. The situation has become so desperate that many are even willing to settle for a spot on the hood of the bus, however, will the vehicle move? That's the concern on everybody's mind.
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