KATHMANDU: Mahesh Shrestha who lives in Harisiddhi, nowadays Lalitpur finds it difficult to move to and from his shop in Mangalbazaar. He walks most of the time to Mangalbazaar, which is five kilometers from home. He gets lift from motorcycle and vehicle drivers only rarely and if he is lucky.
Most don't stop their vehicle when, for fear of COVID-19, he stops them for sharing a ride. Shrestha said his store, like most other companies and businesses in town, remained closed for a long time because of the government's declared lockdown to prevent and monitor the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, to some degree the lockdown has been relaxed, and Shrestha has no choice but to open his shop for livelihood help. For him, a Harisiddhi resident, the need to own a vehicle was never felt now as before. During regular times he hadn't felt this need since commuting to and from his shop wasn't that hard as a large number of public transit vehicles were running.
In this connection, he recalls back five years of his experience when a blockade was taking place in the country. India imposed the undeclared blockade, with a shortage of essentials and fuel. There were also no public vehicles because of fuel shortage at that time. But humans used to give the needy a lift.
But, Shrestha said, the situation is not like that at present. For fear of COVID-19 people are very reluctant to give a lift and share a trip. So, Shrestha's most often walking to his shop and back home. As with Mahesh, Jorhat's Anjana Subedi has the same question. Subedi is working by a private firm in Anamnagar. She used to take Tuk-tuk to the public to go to her office and then return home from there.
These days she goes by motorcycle to her office with her friend. However, she walks up to her husband's office at Chabahil while returning home after school, and both return together on a motorbike. "I have to go to the office anyhow as there is no public transportation that is difficult. If I don't, my salary will be deducted, "she said in despair. She shared that her three-month salary had not been paid since the lockdown began. On March 24, the Government declared a nationwide lockdown.
With the relaxation of the lockdown, most shops and offices in Kathmandu Valley have opened. However, in commuting to their workplace and other destinations such as hospitals, people are facing a lot of hardship as public transport vehicles are not fully operating.