The Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal on Monday began operating two buses free of charge inside the Kathmandu Valley, stepping in to ease the travel troubles of ordinary passengers at a time when public transport runs very sparsely during the Dashain festival. The free service will run for three consecutive days, offering commuters in the capital a reliable alternative during one of the busiest travel periods of the Nepali calendar.
Three days of free rides
According to APF spokesperson Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Netra Bahadur Karki, the free buses will operate for three consecutive days starting Monday, covering Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Services will run each day from 8 am to 6 pm, giving passengers a full daytime window in which to move across the valley. The announcement was widely carried by Nepali media, including Nagarik News.
The main features of the service are as follows:
- Operator: Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal
- Number of buses: Two
- Fare: Free of charge for all passengers
- Coverage: Inside the Kathmandu Valley
- Duration: Three consecutive days, beginning Monday
- Daily hours: 8 am to 6 pm
By keeping the fare at zero and holding the service to full daytime hours, the APF has made it clear that the buses are meant for everyday commuters rather than any special category of traveler. Passengers in the valley during the three-day window will be able to board without paying, removing one of the main hurdles people face when transport options dry up during the festival.
Why Dashain empties the valley's bus routes
Dashain is the largest festival in Nepal, and it reshapes life in the capital every year. In the days around the festival, large numbers of valley residents leave the city to celebrate with their families in hometowns and villages across the country. With so many people on the move and transport resources stretched thin, public vehicles inside the valley become scarce precisely when many people still need to travel for work and for daily essentials.
The APF said the free bus service is aimed at easing travel for ordinary passengers, a group that includes the shopkeepers, office staff, health workers, security personnel and daily-wage earners who keep the capital running through the holiday. For these commuters, a sparse transport network is not merely an inconvenience but a genuine obstacle to reaching their workplaces and getting back home at the end of the day.
This year, the force decided to use its own buses to fill part of that gap. Two vehicles may sound modest against the scale of the valley's transport needs, but a free, scheduled service running from morning to evening can make a real difference to people who would otherwise wait for long stretches for a vehicle or forgo travel altogether.
Officials brief the public
Spokesperson Karki is the official face of the announcement, confirming that the service will run for three consecutive days between 8 am and 6 pm. His remarks, carried by Rato Pati, stressed that the goal is to ease the journey of ordinary passengers during Dashain, when public transport inside the valley runs thinly.
Co-spokesperson Shailendra Thapa also gave information about the service, as Gorkhapatra Online reported. The dual briefings by the force's two spokespeople helped spread the word to commuters ahead of the three-day operating window, an important step for a service whose usefulness depends on people knowing that it exists and when they can use it.
The APF, one of Nepal's main security forces, is primarily known for its internal security duties, but its engagement with the public often extends beyond conventional policing, particularly during festivals when its personnel remain on duty while much of the country celebrates. The free bus service fits within that festival-season role, adding practical, street-level support for citizens to the force's usual responsibilities.
A small service with a wider message
For commuters, the practical details are straightforward. Two free buses will be available inside the Kathmandu Valley from 8 am to 6 pm on each of the three days beginning Monday. Because the service is free and open to ordinary passengers, the only planning most travelers need to do is to fit their journeys within the stated operating hours and take advantage of the option while it lasts.
The three-day window falls squarely within the Dashain festival period, when movement inside the capital is at its most difficult and when the people most affected are those who cannot simply stay at home. With public transport expected to remain sparse through the festival days, the APF's free buses offer a modest but meaningful measure of relief for the residents who keep Kathmandu working while the rest of the country celebrates Dashain with their families.
