With an increasing number of passenger buses travelling between Thimphu and eastern districts halting nights at Nangar of Chhumey Gewog in Bumthang, the need for a regular inspection and monitoring of the buses is becoming urgent. People say it would help if a Road Safety and Transport Authority (RSTA) official is deployed at Chhumey. People also accuse RSTA of having a double standard in being strict with buses in Chamkhar while those in Nangar are left mostly unattended.
The RSTA first approved the new route via the Nangar bypass in December 2019 for Meto Transport Service. With this, buses don’t have to travel to Chamkhar which is around 17 kilometres from the bypass. Of late, almost all eastbound buses have started halting at Nangar. New hotels have come up in the area and some more are under construction. However, there is no proper monitoring system in place yet. With limited manpower, RSTA officials in the Chamkhar base office visit the new bus stop once a week. Today, the office is run by two officials. Without monitoring and Pre-Departure Inspections, people complain of drivers not following departure timing, carrying extra passengers and overloading among others.
“During the departure, some drivers carry extra passengers and some overload their buses making it uncomfortable for us to even take a seat. Overloading is a cause for concern because the east-west highway is not in good condition,” said Tashi Gyeltshen, a commuter.
“As the bypass is a national highway, all sorts of vehicles and commuters travel through it on a daily basis, so there are high chances of accidents. So we think a regular RSTA monitoring is required urgently here,” added another commuter, Pema Wangchuk.
On the contrary, at Chamkhar, the Dzongkhag Administration has built a new bus terminal with an RSTA office, spending Nu 30 M. It was handed over to the RSTA yesterday. As of now, there are only four buses departing from Bumthang to Thimphu and Gelephu using the shed which can accommodate seven. Buses at Chamkhar are checked almost every morning by RSTA officials while those at Chhumey aren’t.
The RSTA’s media focal person, Sithar Dorji, said Pre Departure Inspection for buses en route to their destination is not required as they are inspected from originating bus stations. However, some buses going to the east that used to halt at Chamkhar were also inspected before departure. This according to him was done simultaneously only because there are buses originating from Chamkhar. Moreover, to ensure safety, he said ad hoc inspections are carried out in Chhumey and on-road inspections at Monggar and Trongsa, occasionally. However, as of now, there are no plans to open an RSTA office in Chhumey.
For now, without regular monitoring, passengers will have to count on drivers’ ethics and discipline until they are conveyed safely to their destinations.
Kipchu, Bumthang
