Getting people to take Covid-19 seriously has been tough right around the world, and it’s no different in Nepal. Even during the four months of rather strict lockdown from March to June 2020, you could spot plenty of people milling about as if things were perfectly fine. Not only did they abjure masks, they crowded public places and spat with impunity.

Things have only gotten worse following the end of the official lockdown. Most government, business and education establishments have reopened, as have public transport services. With every passing day, fewer and fewer people can be seen in masks, even as our public buses and microbuses are again brimful with passengers.

Perhaps the availability of vaccines makes them doubly complacent. But then as of this writing under five percent of the country’s population had gotten the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, of around 500,000 registered vehicles in Kathmandu valley, most are back on the road. Social distancing and masks are mandatory on public transport and yet hardly anyone seems to be following these anti-corona norms.
In this photo story, we try to capture the unruly and crowded state of Kathmandu valley’s public transport, which is perhaps the biggest spreader of the virus.