Introduction

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Table of Contents

Introduction. 3

Discussion. 3

Conclusion. 5

Reference list 6

Introduction

Kathmandu city is facing a major problem and disturbances due to a steady increase in the traffic due to an increase in the number of vehicles in the city. There is a lack of effective management of traffic. Every individual living there or the tourists travelling there suffer from the chronic trouble of traffic jams. Traffic congestion is a common problem of every developing nation which is the result of the population explosion, increased number of vehicles and distorted urbanisation. In Kathmandu, it is advised to keep 45 minutes extra time for every venture due to the traffic jam in the valley. Wherever a person goes, he or she is greeted by a huge traffic jam. During the busy hours of the day, a short distance could have been covered much faster than by riding a vehicle. The causes of traffic problems in Kathmandu city can be analysed as follows.

Discussion

Firstly, there is a low limit in the space of the roads. Moreover, the number of vehicles on the roads in the city has increased very rapidly. A report reveals that, if the vehicles in the city were queued up the line would have been much longer than the total length of the roads of the city. Secondly, the coordination between the different agencies of the government is lacking. Despite the success in the election in 2017, there is no change in the functioning of the government (Karmacharya, Prajapati & Rai, 2019). The coordination is lacking in road matters. Heavy construction materials remains were dumped in different areas of the city. As a result, roads were fully or partly blocked resulting in huge chaos on the roads in the city. Moreover, there is a shortage of a single mechanism for monitoring traffic jams. Thirdly, the behaviour of the drivers, conductors are very unruly. As a result, the people belonging to the upper-middle class and middle class prefer to ride their private vehicles. As a result, the number of vehicles on the road increases. Fourthly, officials face problems in managing the junctions of the traffic. According to them, there is a lack of traffic lights. Moreover, 90 percent of the existing lights are not working. It is thought that if the traffic lights were working, the congestion of traffic could have been reduced by 40 percent. Fifthly, the organised parking system is lacking in the valley. People park their cars haphazardly on the sides of the roads. Moreover, many of the house owners use the roadsides for parking their vehicles (Gowda & Thenambigai, 2020). This causes roadblocks and traffic jams. Sixthly, the fine amounts are very negligible. As a result, the drivers, as well as the riders, have the tendency of violating the traffic rules. Seventhly, the civic sense of the local people is very poor. Many of the pedestrians, drivers and riders do not feel obliged to oblige the rules of traffic. Lastly, in the city, there is a lack of basic infrastructure. There is either no zebra crossing or their maintenance is lacking, which causes haphazardness in crossing roads which in turn creates problems in the flow of traffic smoothly. The absence of over bridges in crowded areas creates many problems for the smooth flow of traffic.

Figure 1: Increasing traffic issues in Kathmandu City

Source: (Karmacharya, Prajapati & Rai, 2019)

There are many countries in Europe that face similar problems as faced by Kathmandu. But, they have solved the problem by effective policymaking and implementation of them. Some measures could have been taken to reduce the traffic jam in Kathmandu. The authorities of the city could have considered running buses which can carry a larger number of passengers instead of carrying fewer passengers. This step would reduce the number of buses on the roads (Shrestha et al., 2021). They should think seriously about reducing the number of private cars and motorcycles. Eradicating unorganised and unauthorised parking on the roadside might help to make available some more space for traffic to run smoothly. Old vehicles not only create traffic congestion but also increase pollution. The government should think seriously to reduce the number of old vehicles on the road. If awareness is generated among people for admitting their children to nearby schools, it could manage the number of school buses. It is necessary to build expressways in Kathmandu if it is feasible. If a person reaches his or her destination faster by public transport the demand for riding a private vehicle would reduce. Reduction of the number of private vehicles and motorcycles would definitely reduce the problem of traffic jams in the city. The government is thinking to build an underpass in New Baneshwor for a long time. Moreover, the government has a plan to construct a flyover at Maitighar Thapathali. Until now it has not been realised. Kathmandu, being the capital city of Nepal, a large number of tourists are attracted to the city from all over the world. There are many social, economic, political and technological activities in the city that are taking place every day (Bhattarai et al., 2019). Moreover, the population in the city is increasing steadily. This, in turn, would increase the number of cars, buses, motorcycles etc. Nevertheless, there is no increase in the width of the roads. Some citizens of the city think that Syndicate in public transport should be eradicated. They also think that the transport system should be organised by the government. Moreover, they think that the government should not issue permits for heavy vehicles on ring roads. They think that politicians promise many things during elections, but after the election, they don’t keep their promises (Mool et al., 2020). As a result, things have not changed much. Awareness should be created among people to follow traffic rules. The existing roads should be reconstructed properly.

Conclusion

Though this issue is a global issue, Kathmandu traffic is very notorious in nature. Nepali’s should rely more on technology. They should build more roads. There are many possible solutions. However, they are not very easy to achieve. The government, as well as the public, should have more awareness and motives to solve this problem. Last but not the least, due to the centralised structure of development; people prefer to live in the city for opportunities, better employment and better education. This problem should also be considered.

Reference list

Bhattarai, K., Yousef, M., Greife, A., & Lama, S. (2019). Decision-Aiding Transit-Tracker Methodology for Bus Scheduling Using Real Time Information to Ameliorate Traffic Congestion in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. Journal of Geographic Information System, 11(2), 239-291. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/jgis.2019.112016

Gowda, G., & Thenambigai, R. (2020). A study on respiratory morbidities and pulmonary functions among traffic policemen in Bengaluru city. Indian journal of community medicine: official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 45(1), 23. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4103%2Fijcm.IJCM_102_19

Karmacharya, R. M., Prajapati, L., & Rai, S. (2019). Risk assessment of varicose veins among the traffic police of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal. Indian Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, 6(2), 107. DOI: 10.4103/ijves.ijves_67_18

Mool, E., Bhave, P. V., Khanal, N., Byanju, R. M., Adhikari, S., Das, B., & Puppala, S. P. (2020). Traffic condition and emission factor from diesel vehicles within the Kathmandu valley. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 20(3), 395-409. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2019.03.0159

Shrestha, S., Baral, B., Dhital, N. B., & Yang, H. H. (2021). Assessing air pollution tolerance of plant species in vegetation traffic barriers in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Sustainable Environment Research, 31(1), 1-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s42834-020-00076-2