Gateway security

March 17 - Foreign workers with valid work permits will not be issued bus tickets from Phuentsholing to various destinations until May 1 with immediate effect, Phuentsholing road safety and transport authority officials said.

“We received instructions to monitor illegal immigrants entering Bhutan, so we’ve informed all ticket counters not to issue any,” said the senior regional transport officer (RTO), Sonam Gyeltshen, adding that foreign workers travelling to Thimphu, Paro, Wangduephodrang, Punakha and Haa will not be issued tickets.

This was being done as one of the safety measures for the upcoming SAARC summit to be held in Thimphu.

Yesterday being the last day for all expatriate labourers, immigration officials at Kharbandi checkpoint recorded about 1,000 of them, against only 200 to 300 in a day during usual days.

“Many of them were travelling by buses, taxis and private vehicles,” an immigration official said.

Passengers, whether Indian or Bhutanese will have to produce their identity cards or voter cards, at the ticketing counter.

“We’ve already drafted passenger manifest forms, which requires details of the passengers like their nationality, citizenship identity card number or voter card and their destination,” the senior RTO said.

He said the forms were distributed at all counters and people were already instructed on how to go about it.

“The forms are sent with the drivers and produced at the checkpoints.” Beginning today, all 25 buses travelling to various destinations will be thoroughly checked at the terminals before passengers board. “Every luggage of the passengers will be frisked as well,” he said. RSTA officials said they informed people at the ticketing counters not to issue tickets to passengers without identity cards. “This is being done to avoid illegal immigrants,” the RTO said. However, ticketing counter employees doubt if they can apply the rules. “Some people forget their ID cards,” said one of them.

source: kuensel