The Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal has launched a free bus service across the Kathmandu Valley for three days starting today, in a special arrangement made on the occasion of the Dashain festival. Two buses have been deployed on the roads of the valley to help people move from one place to another at a time when public transport inside the capital has become very limited. Assistant Spokesperson of the APF, Shailendra Thapa, said the service has been launched with the aim of easing the movement of citizens during the festival. The announcement comes as the annual Dashain travel rush pulls public vehicles out of the capital, leaving many residents who remain in the city searching for an affordable way to get around.
Free Rides on Two Buses for Three Days
Under the arrangement, the APF has put two of its buses into operation within the Kathmandu Valley, and passengers can ride them at no cost. The service began today and will continue for three consecutive days, covering the heart of the Dashain holiday period. According to the APF, the decision was taken in view of the sharp drop in public transport availability inside the valley during the festival, when a large number of buses and other vehicles leave the capital to serve long-distance routes to districts across the country.
The main features of the service can be summed up as follows:
- Operator: Armed Police Force Nepal
- Coverage area: Kathmandu Valley
- Duration: Three days, beginning today
- Fleet size: Two buses
- Fare: Completely free
- Stated objective: To ease the movement of citizens during Dashain
Assistant Spokesperson Shailendra Thapa said the service aims to ease citizens' movement. His statement, issued as the buses hit the road, makes clear that the APF views the initiative as a public-assistance measure rather than a commercial operation. The buses are meant simply to help people reach their destinations inside the valley without having to pay a fare during days when finding a vehicle has become difficult. The development was reported by Khabarhub, which noted the three-day duration and the deployment of two buses.
Dashain Exodus Leaves the Valley Short of Buses
Dashain is the biggest festival in Nepal, a time when families reunite, blessings are exchanged, and people travel in large numbers to their hometowns and villages. That annual movement has a direct impact on the Kathmandu Valley's transport system. As festival-goers pour out of the capital, many of the buses, microvans and tempos that normally circle city routes are drawn toward long-distance journeys out of the valley, where demand for seats is at its highest.
The result is a familiar paradox: just when the streets of the capital see fewer vehicles, the people who remain - employees on duty, security personnel, health workers, shopkeepers, students and daily-wage earners among them - find it harder than usual to make even short trips. Shopping for festival goods, reaching a hospital, reporting for a work shift or visiting relatives can turn into a long and costly wait. It is precisely this gap that the APF's three-day free bus service is designed to fill, offering residents a no-cost alternative while regular city transport remains thin on the ground.
A Festival Gesture from the Security Force
The APF is one of Nepal's principal security agencies, and its responsibilities extend well beyond conventional security tasks. The force regularly takes part in rescue and community-assistance work, and festival-time services such as this free bus operation fit within that wider public-service role. Security agencies in Nepal typically step up their presence and support activities during Dashain, when travel peaks and crowds swell at markets, temples and transport hubs.
By putting its own buses on the road, the APF has sought to turn its festival-period presence into direct help for commuters. The message from the force's spokesperson was straightforward: the two buses are there so that citizens can move around the valley with less difficulty until the pressure on transport eases.
Relief for Commuters During the Holiday
For passengers in the Kathmandu Valley, the immediate takeaway is simple. For three days, two APF buses can be used free of charge, giving people a way to move within the valley for work, errands, medical needs or family visits without worrying about the scarcity of public vehicles. No fare is involved, and the service is open to members of the public travelling within the valley.
The service will run only for the announced three days, so its impact is necessarily limited in scale: two buses cannot replace an entire city transport network. But as a targeted measure for the festival period, it addresses a real and recurring problem. Dashain empties the valley of public transport year after year, and this time the country's armed police force has chosen to respond with a straightforward offer - two buses, three days, no fare - aimed at keeping the capital moving for the people who remain in it during Nepal's greatest festival.
