Nepal unrest: Delhi Transport Corporation suspends Kathmandu bus service

Stating that two buses were deployed by the DTC on the Delhi-Kathmandu route, the minister said, “One of them is stuck in Nepal. It is at a safe location and as soon as the situation normalises, it will return. We have suspended services on this route and they will be resumed when the situation goes back to normal. There are no passengers on the bus.” He added that there was no need to panic.

A senior transport official, meanwhile, said, “…the current situation in Nepal is very bad… if we continue to operate our buses, both the vehicles and the people will suffer. So we decided to suspend the service.”

“No passengers are left on the stuck buses. We are coordinating with the Nepal and Indian embassies on this matter,” the official said.

Other officials, however, said some that buses run by private operators were also stuck in the neighbouring country.

DTC introduced the international bus service, known as the Delhi-Kathmandu Maitri Bus Sewa, in 2014. The now-suspended service covers a distance of 1,167 km. Passengers are charged a fare of Rs 2,800 each.

The DTC operates the said luxury buses on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

The latest suspension of service comes as Kathmandu witnessed its deadliest unrest in years as thousands of young protesters clashed with police outside Parliament on Monday. At least 19 people were killed after security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets, and baton-charged demonstrators who had broken police barricades and stormed Parliament complex, protesting a social media ban in the nation.

Prime Minister Oli resigned in the face of the protests, even as the ban on social media was lifted late on Monday night.

(With PTI inputs)