Kathmandu, January 3, 2017: Information Officer at the Department of Transport Management Dr. Tokraj Pandey finds it hard to reach office at 10 though he leaves for office with at least one hour in advance. Not only Pandey, it’s hard for all the valley denizens to accomplish their works on time as it’s a compulsion for them to get stuck in jams in every day.
As per the statistics at the transport management department, 963,508 vehicles are registered in Kathmandu valley. Together with those registered outside, more than a million vehicles ply on the valley roads. The total length of vehicles operating in the Kathmandu Valley being greater than that of roads is the main reason for traffic jams in Kathmandu, as per information officer Pandey.
Excessive pressure of vehicle movement, inability to control the pressure, and not being able to manage traffic routes are the principal reasons for traffic congestion in the valley, says mechanical engineer of the department, Gagan Hamal.
As per the data at the department, there are 105,562 twenty-years old vehicles in Kathmandu.
Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and transport has also decided to eliminate these 20-years old vehicles for causing pollution and traffic jams in the valley.
Having weak road infrastructure, not having a scientific system for registration of the vehicles, and not being able to manage the old vehicles along with being unable to control the vehicle movement are the main reasons for the traffic bottlenecks in Kathmandu.
By Chhetu Sherpa
This article was originally published in Annapurna Post. Read the original article in Nepali here.
