Road widening drive reaches Bhaktapur

KATHMANDU, FEB 17 –

Spurred on by the road expansion campaign’s success in Kathmandu and Lalitpur, the government has started expanding roads in neighbouring Bhaktapur district.

As a part of the road expansion drive, the road sections between SOS Hermann Gmeiner School in Sanothimi and the Bode area were demolished on Saturday. The walls enclosing the offices belonging to the Ministry of Education were also demolished the same day.

The Bhaktapur chapter of the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA), with the participation of local people, launched the drive after the concerned authorities failed to comply with the government’s public notice announcing the start of the campaign, said Basant Rai, commissioner of KVDA Bhaktapur. The walls of various government offices such as Curriculum Development Centre and Higher Secondary Education Board were destroyed to meet the required criteria of widening the road up to 11 meters.

According to Rai, the widening campaign started from Madhyapur Thimi Municipality and will continue to bulldoze illegal houses and infrastructure in the coming days.

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शंकामा रात्रिकालीन बस

THURSDAY, 07 FEBRUARY 2013 10:43 विश्वमणि पोखरेल

भदौ १, २०६९ देखि काठमाडौंमा रात्रीकालीन बस सञ्चालन भएको खबर राष्ट्रियस्तरका पत्रपत्रिकाले महत्त्वसाथ छापे, रेडियो, टिभीले ‘बे्रकिङ’ न्युजको हैसियतमा प्रसारण गरे। मुलुकको राजधानी, ठूलाबडा बस्ने, राजनीतिको केन्द्र, शहरी जीवनले तीव्रता पाएको शहर जसले महानगरको पगरीसमेत गुथेको छ, त्यहाँ राति ११ बजेसम्म बस चल्नु समाचार बन्छ। राति ८ बजेपछि ३ बस चल्ने खबरलाई ‘हटकेक’ बनाउने बबुरो पत्रकारिता अहिले रात्रिकालीन बसको कथा अन्त्य हुने समाचार लेख्न ब्यस्त छ। समाचारमा आएजस्तै रात्रिकालीन बस सेवा बन्द हुने वा अझ गुल्जार हुने? अन्यौलग्रस्त अवस्थाबाट गुजि्ररहेको छ, मुलुकको एकमात्र महानगरपालिका।

बस व्यवसायीहरूसँगको लामो गृहकार्यपछि काठमाडौं महानगरपालिका र सरकारले अनुदान दिएर सञ्चालनमा ल्याइएका बसहरूले ६ महिनासम्म सेवा दिएका छन्। सुरक्षाकर्मी राखेर, झिलिमिली पार्दै राति ८ बजेदेखि ११ बजेसम्म सञ्चालनमा रहेका १४ वटा बससँगै अन्य बस पनि थपिँदै जाने हो वा भइरहेको रात्रिकालीन सेवा पनि बन्द हुने? संशय छ। बस व्यवसायीहरू धम्कीयुक्त आग्रह अघि सार्न थालेका छन्। उनीहरू महानगरपालिका र सरकारले दिने अनुदान जारी राख्नुपर्ने अथवा साँझ ८ बजेपछि रात्रिकालीन भनेर झिलिमिली पारेकाबाहेक अन्य बसहरू सडकमा गुड्न पाउन नहुने जस्ता माग अघि सार्दैछन्।

काठमाडौं महानगरपालिका उनीहरूको लोलीमा बोली मिलाउँदै तोकिएका रात्रिकालीन बसबाहेकका बसहरू साँझ आठ बजेअघि नै विश्राम गराएर रात्रि बसलाई निर्वाध वातावरण बनाउने कामको अगुवाई गर्दैछ। ६ महिनाको अवधिमा सरकारी कोषबाट ४५ लाख रात्रिकालीन बस सञ्चालनका नाममा खर्च भइसकेको छ। यही तरिकाले अनुदान दिँदै जाने हो भने रात्रि बस सञ्चालकहरूलाई दोहोरो लाभ हुनेछ- एउटा अनुदान, अर्को यात्रुबाट उठाएको पैसा। त्यसैले रात्रिकालीन सेवा दिनेहरू आफ्नो हितमा निर्वाध बस चल्न सक्ने वातावरणका लागि लबिङ गर्दैछन्। उनीहरू सक्रिय हुनु स्वाभाविक हो। तर यहाँ महानगरपालिका उनीहरूको सहयोगी बनेको अवस्था छ। महानगरपालिकाले औपचारिकरूपमा आफ्नो प्रस्ताव यातायात व्यवस्था विभागलगायत्का निकायमा पेश गरेको बुझिन्छ। जसमा रात्रि बसबाहेकका बस चल्न नपाउने सर्त छ। आफ्नो बचाउका लागि महानगरपालिकाले अन्य बसले समय तोकेर रातिसम्म बस सञ्चालन गर्नुपर्ने बुँदा पनि राखिएको छ।

रात्रिकालीन बस सेवा सञ्चालनमा भइरहेको लबिङ्गको सन्दर्भमा यो सेवाको औचित्यबारे चर्चा गरांै। भदौ १ मा उपप्रधान तथा परराष्ट्र मन्त्री नारायणकाजी श्रेष्ठले उद्घाटन गरेर सञ्चालनमा ल्याएका १४ वटा बसमा सुरक्षाकर्मी राखिएको थियो र सुरुको तीन महिनासम्म सम्पूर्ण खर्च सरकार आफंैले बेहोर्न भनिएको थियो। सोहीअनुसार अहिलेसम्म १४ वटा बसले ४५ लाख कुम्ल्याएका हुन्। सरकारले लगानी गरेर रातिसम्म सेवा चलोस् भन्ने उद्देश्यले अनुदानको उदार नीति अख्तियार गरेको हो। मुलुकको राजधानी र महानगर नामधारी काठमाडौंमा सम्साँझैं सार्वजनिक यातायात नपाउने अवस्थामा सुधार ल्याउन उप्रेरकको काम सरकारले गर्यों, जुन आवश्यक थियो। अहिले ६ महिनाको अनुभवले देखाएको छ- रात्रिकालीन बसहरूलाई यात्रु पाउन समस्या छैन। तोकिएका बसबाहेक अन्य बस, माइक्रो बसहरू प्रशस्त मात्रामा सडकमा गुड्न थालेका छन्। ती बसमा खचाखच यात्रु हुन्छन्। ट्राफिक प्रहरीका अनुसार रात्रिकालीन बस र राति चल्न्ो अन्य सार्वजनिक सवारी साधनलाई यात्रुको खाँचो छैन, उनीहरू भरिभराउ हुन्छन्।

रात्रिकालीन सेवालाई अर्को पाटोबाट पनि हेरौं। भदौपछि क्रमशः जाडो बढ्दै गएर रात्रि जीवनको चहलपहल घट्दै जाने अवस्था थियो भने अहिले गर्मी चढ्दै जाने भएकाले राति अबेरसम्म महानगरको रात्रि जीवन रमाइलो हुँदै जान्छ। अर्थात् राति अबेरसम्म सार्वजनिक यातायात चल्नसक्ने हुन्छ। ट्राफिक प्रहरी राति दश बजेसम्म रात्रिकालीनसँगै अन्य बस, माइक्रोबसहरूले राम्रोसँग यात्रुहरू पाएको बताउँछन्। यातायात व्यवसायीबीच प्रतिस्पर्धा पनि हुन थालेको छ। व्यवसायीहरू रात्रिकालीनलाई ‘काउन्टर’ दिने नाममा किन नहोस्, प्रतिस्पर्धामा उत्रिएको देखिन्छ। यस्ताखाले प्रतिस्पर्धाले आमरूपमा जनतालाई लाभ पुगिरहेको छ। तर विडम्बना, प्रतिस्पर्धात्मक वातावरण नियन्त्रण गर्ने सोच पनि सँगसँगै विकसित भइरहेका छन्। रात्रिकालीन बसहरूले अघि सारेको रणनीति कार्यान्वयन भयो भने प्रतिस्पर्धी वातावरण भत्कन जानेछ र एकलौटी लाभ सीमित बसवालाले मात्र पाउनेछन्। रात्रिकालीनलाई दिँदै आएको अनुदानलाई निरन्तरता दिन महानगर तयार छैन। अनुदान कटौती गरेको अवस्थामा रातिको भाडा बढाउने अर्को एकाधिकारवादी नीति पनि रात्रिकालीन बस व्यवसायीहरूले अघि सारेका छन्। सिन्डिकेट मनोवृत्तिको उपज आएका यस्ताखाले मागले राजधानीको रात्रिकालीन यातायात प्रभावित हुने देखिन्छ। आमनागरिक त्यसको शिकार बन्नेछन्।

सरकारी प्रेरणामा सुरू भएको र छोटो समयमा औचित्य स्थापित गरेको रात्रिकालीन यातायात सेवालाई निरन्तरता दिनु आवश्यकता छ। यसका लागि सरकार र महानगरपालिकाले हस्तक्षेपकारी नीति अख्यियार गर्न सक्नुपर्छ। व्यवसायीहरू नियन्त्रणमुखी व्यवसायको पक्षमा देखिएका बेला सरकारले त्यसमा हस्तक्षेप गर्नु आमनागरिकप्रति उसको कर्तव्य र जवाफदेहिता पनि हो। नीतिगतरूपमा नेपालमा सिन्डिकेट प्रणाली छैन तर व्यवहारमा, जताततै सिन्डिकेट व्याप्त छ। सिन्डिकेट र कार्टेलिङ नेपाली अर्थतन्त्रका प्रमुख समस्यामध्येका हुन्। राजधानीमा सञ्चालित यातायातहरू कुनै न कुनै समितिअन्तर्गत छन्। यातायातको साधन किन्ने भन्दा पनि रूट किन्न महँगो पर्ने अवस्थाले यातायात क्षेत्र सीमित मानिसको नियन्त्रणमा रहेको अवस्था संकेत गर्छ। उता सरकारको प्रतिस्पर्धी नीति कागजमा मात्र सीमित छ।

सरकारी निकायहरूले अल्पकालीन र दीर्घकालीन गरी नीति अख्तियार गर्न सक्छन्। तत्कालका लागि अल्पकालीन नीतिअन्तर्गत अहिले सञ्चालनमा रहेका विभिन्न्ा समितिसँग वार्ता गरेर राति ११ बजेसम्म राजधानीको सेरोफेरोमा यातायात चलाउन सकिन्छ। दीर्घकालीन नीतिअन्तर्गत नगरपालिकाहरूले नगर बस सञ्चालन गर्ने हिम्मत गर्नुपर्छ।

राजधानीको सार्वजनिक यातायात विभिन्न नामधारी समितिअन्तर्गत हुनु, उनीहरूकै मिलेमतोमा रुटहरू खरिद-बिक्री हुनु प्रतिस्पर्धी बजार नीतिविरुद्धका कुरा हुन् तर व्यवहारमा समितिहरूकै दादागिरीमा राजधानीलगायत् मुलुकको यातायात सञ्चालन भइरहेको यथार्थता हाम्रोसामु छ। यही पृष्ठभूमिमा सरकारले व्यावहारिक अल्पकालीन नीति अख्तियार गर्न सक्छ। नेपाल जस्तो वामपन्थी राजनीतिले प्रभावित भएको देशमा खुला बजार नीति लागु गर्न सहज छैन। बेलाबेलामा सरकारी हस्तक्षेप आवश्यक हुन्छ। उदाहरण, अहिले उपत्यकामा सञ्चालनमा रहेका ललितपुर यातायात समिति, कीर्तिपुर यातायात समिति, मध्यपुर यातायात समिति जस्ता थुप्रै समिति अस्तित्वमा छन् र आफूखुसी यातायात चलाउँदै आएका छन्। बिहान कुन बेलादेखि साँझ कुन बेलासम्म यातायात चलाउने त्यसको निर्णय समिति आफैं गर्ने गर्छन्। सरकारले प्रत्येक समितिलाई बेलुकाको निश्चित समय तोकेर त्यसबेलासम्म नियमित अन्तरमा यातायात चलाउन निर्देशन दिन सक्छ। यस्ता काम जवाफदेही सरकारको कर्तव्यभित्रका कुरा हुन्। सार्वजनिक यातायात सार्वजनिक सेवाअन्तर्गत पर्ने भएकाले समितिहरूले आफूखुसी गर्न पाउँदैनन्। त्यस्तो एकाधिकार गर्ने कानुनी प्रावधान पनि छैन।
नियन्त्रणमुखी नीतिमा बजारहरू फैलन र विकसित हुन सक्तैनन् भन्ने वास्त्ाविकता आत्मसात गर्दै सरकारी संयन्त्रले आमनागरिकको पक्षमा काम गर्ने हो। यातायातका क्षेत्रमा समितिहरूका सामु निरीह बन्न सरकारलाई सुहाउने कुरा पनि होइन।

दीर्घकालीन नीतिअन्तर्गत काठमाडांै महानगरपालिका, ललितपुर उपमहनगरपालिकालगायत्का उपत्यकाभित्रका ५ वटा नगरपालिकाहरू आफंैले नगर बसहरू सञ्चालन गर्न सक्नुपर्छ। निजी क्षेत्रलाई प्रतिस्पर्धी बनाउन, मूल्य नियन्त्रण गर्न सरकार आफंैले आवश्यकीय सेवाहरू उपलब्ध गराउनुपर्ने आवश्यकता नेपालमा अझ खड्किएको अनुभव हुन्छ । सरकारले केही अंशमात्र बजार आफ्नो नियन्त्रणमा लिन सक्यो भने प्रतिस्पर्धी बजारमा निजी क्षेत्र आफंै जिम्मेवार हुँदै जाने र मूल्य नियन्त्रण पनि हुने हुन्छ। अनुभवबाट देखिएको छ- नेपालको निजी क्षेत्र इमानदार बन्न चाहँदैन। अहिले भइराखेका खाद्य संस्थान, साल्ट ट्रेडिङ, नेसनल टे्रडिङ जस्ता निकायलाई प्रभावकारी बनाउँदा उपभोक्ता बजारमा आवश्यकीय वस्तुको मूल्य नियन्त्रण हुन्छ। साझा यातायात मुर्झाउने र नगरपालिकाहरूले नगर बसहरू सञ्चालनमा ल्याउने हो भने यातायातका सिन्डिकेटहरू पनि भत्कन थाल्नेछन्।

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Promotion of public transport

Public transport has a greater capacity to move people than private vehicles in a given amount of road space. The promotion of public transport (mass bus transit) is a basic strategy to improve the transportation system and reduce congestion.

Sajha Yatayat as an option

Sajha Yatayat is the oldest transport service in Nepal which was established in 2018 BS and was state-owned. Since some years it has been out of operation but now it is going to resume its service shortly with new plans, policies and strategies under a new management. According to the Sajha Yatayat management, it will come into operation in February-March 2013 with 16 new buses. The 52-seater buses will have two automatic doors controlled by the driver. They are of Euro 3 emission standard. It was operated as an inter-district transport and for commuters in Kathmandu. The same is to be followed after its revival. The state-owned transport was popular and a reliable form of transport system in Nepal.

The operation of mass transit is the way to solve the traffic chaos of Kathmandu. Everyday traffic jams in urban cities, and irregularities in service and fares in inter-district transportation are the main problem of the transport systems. To control such irregularities, the operation of state-owned/controlled bus service is required. The way to solve traffic congestion is the introduction of integrated bus transit as mass transit. Sajha Yatayat should be revived as an integrated bus transit. It should introduce buses with high-capacity (54-seater is a good option), which are easy to board, comfortable to ride and quiet. One high-capacity bus can carry the same number of passengers as a few micro or mini buses. This will result in fewer number of vehicles on the road at any given time, which makes traffic management easier. An appropriate fare collection technology should be introduced instead of cash collection on board by the conductor, which will ultimately ease the boarding and getting off, by enabling the passengers to use a single fare card or token system. The fare collection system needs to be secure, efficient, and simple.

A fixed travel time should be allocated and easy transfer and integrated interconnection are to be established. Walking distance between transferring points must be made as short as possible with safe passageways. The bus stations should be well-designed with large shelters and route information allowing people to board the buses quickly from a platform that is level with the bus floor. If these strategies are to be followed by Sajha Yatayat, there would be huge number of people shifting from private transport (motorcycle and cars) to Sajha. Proper operation of Sajha as mass transit will certainly reduce traffic jams in Kathmandu.

In the past, Sajha was the first choice of the public for travelling. The same image should be reestablished through the execution of proper plans and polices. It should be guided by a vision into proper action. Whatever the reasons behind its closure, the new management has to analyze and learn lessons from them. In underdeveloped countries like Nepal, political interference is everywhere. The management has to think about this circumstances and develop strategies to tackle them before starting the services. Political interference could not be the only reason to justify its shutdown because it was operating well and had a good reputation among the public.

Mass bus transit has been popular means of transport around the globe. The European cities have well-developed integrated bus transit. Operation of bus transit is substantially cost-efficient in terms of operation and infrastructure investment and is flexible compared to rail; which has made bus transit very popular. Transmilinio in Bogota, the capital of Colombia and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) of Curitiba, Brazil are very popular examples which play a large part in making cities livable ones. They solved the traffic chaos of the city through the implementation of integrated bus transit. Transmilinio was the idea of the then mayor Enrique Panalosa. He proved that one man can make the difference.

Bus system provides a versatile form of public transport with flexibility to serve various locations. The only requirement is roadways. Since urban roads are already built and are being widened, Sajha Yatayat doesn´t need extra investment in infrastructure for operation and could only focus on proper operation. The cost of travelling by Sajha Yatayat should be cheaper than travelling by two or four-wheelers. It should be reliable in terms of punctuality and route and safe to attract the people. The allocation of proper bus stops has to be made.

It should also foresee the strategy to operate night bus service. Night bus services will decrease the dependence on private vehicles. The fare for such service could be higher than the normal prices. Public transport has a greater capacity to move people than private vehicles in a given amount of road space. The promotion of public transport (mass bus transit) is a basic strategy to improve the transportation system and reduce congestion. If it is systematically developed and provides quality service that approximates the quality that a car driver is used to, there will certainly be a drop in overall car usage. Therefore, Sajha Yatayat should be developed as mass transit and the public sector should promote public transport

Gajurel is a Traffic Engineer, and working as Transport & Traffic Consultant gajurelashish@gmail.com

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No right of passage

Lacking proper roads and sidewalks, Kathmandu Valley is one of the most difficult places to live in for those who are mobility-impaired

Sulaiman Daud

Kathmandu’s streets are what nightmares are made of. The roads are narrow, there are pot holes at every corner, microbuses stop anywhere they want, and reckless drivers try to overtake one another like they are in a race. Like the rest of us, Bal Krishnan Ghimire (pic, right) too navigates through this chaos every day from his home in Jawalakhel to his work and back. But afflicted with polio from an early age, Bal Krishnan cannot walk and has to make this journey on a wheelchair.With no accessible footpaths, his wheelchair is forced to compete for legroom with hundreds of cars, two wheelers, and tempos on the main road. When he wants to visit a shop, he has to first get down from his wheelchair and crawl over the wooden threshold found at the entrances of most public buildings.  If there was a ‘most-disability-unfriendly cities in the world’ list, Nepal would be in the top 10.

Despite these challenges, the 48-year-old weaver and craftsman considers himself fortunate. “I can get out of my wheelchair by myself,” he states matter-of-factly, “I wonder how fellow Nepalis who are blind or have spinal injuries go about their day-to-day lives in this uncaring city.”

According to the 2011 census, more than 500,000 Nepalis (nearly two per cent of the population) have some form of disability and those with mobility disability like Bal Krishnan make up nearly two-fifths of the total. However, under-reporting due to the shame attached to being disabled and the government’s narrow definitions, mean that the actual numbers are higher.

Nepal became one of the first countries in the region to introduce a disability act in 1982 and is a signatory to the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Despite the numerous guarantees and significant aid, the state has little to show for its efforts.

There are no policies to assist those on wheelchairs at schools, hospitals, private and government offices, no building codes which make elevators, ramps, adapted toilets, and wider hallways mandatory. Instead, during the road expansion drive the state bulldozed the few sidewalks around the Valley and merged them into the main road.

The only relief for the physically-challenged comes from private organisations like the National Rehabilitation Societyfor the Disabled which distributes hundreds of free wheelchairs annually and the Nepal Disabled Association(NDA) which is giving Jorpati’s streets a disability-friendly makeover (see box). NDA also provides income-generating skills training so that Bal Krishnan and others like him can become financially independent.“I left home at 24 because I felt unwanted by my family. I was depressed. I started learning how to make incense sticks and candles and weave baskets through NDA’s support. Now I earn a reasonable income and being independent has improved my self-esteem,” explains Bal Krishnan.

While physically challenged residents of Kathmandu overcome hurdles day in and day out, the lack of disability–friendly facilities is also making Nepal an unpopular destination and keeping potential tourists at bay.

“We have been taught to think of people with disabilities as somehow lesser. They don’t deserve the same resources and treatment as able-bodied people,” says Navyo Eller, marketing head of Navyo Nepal, “even small changes like putting larger seats in buses can help, but we just don’t bother.” Navyo Nepal is one of the few travel agencies which arranges tours for disabled tourists by providing vehicles with ample space and mobile toilets for trips outside the city.

Despite the challenges faced by the disabled community, there are causes for optimism. The rapid rise and accessibility of communications technology such as mobile phones and the Internet have been crucial in improving educational standards, as well as skill training. Disabled children no longer have to drop out of school due to lack of facilities, if they can learn and study online. But this requires a more involved government and a change in societal attitudes towards people with disabilities.

For Bal Krishnan, any support is welcome. “There are signs of change, but progress is still slow,” he says.

See also:

Different, but able BHRIKUTI RAI

Bungmati school lets children overcome disability by working on their abilities

Educating children with disabilities

Differently-abled NARESH NEWAR

Ten percent of Nepal’s population is disabled. What are the others doing to help?

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Moving grounds

An entire two kilometre stretch from Jorpati chok to the gates of Khagendra New Life Centre (NLC) has been earmarked to undergo a major face-lift in the next 12 months. With wider, smooth walkways and guide-strips, the community-led project will make travelling much easier for the wheelchair bound and the visually impaired.Home to Nepali Disabled Association (NDA) and SOS Children’s Village, a school for the disadvantaged, Jorpati has a large disabled population and the renovations will make commuting safer and easier for the residents. The road will be named after Khagendra Bahadur Basnyat who founded NLC. Started almost half a decade ago, New Life Centre is one of the pioneer organisations in Nepal to provide physiotherapy and counseling to disabled people.

Arun Dev Pant, an architect with Design Cell, together with urban planner Anjan Shrestha, will turn this vision into reality. Trained in the USA, Arun won an award for designing the disabled-friendly facilities atSpinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC) in Kavre, and volunteered to help the government design the wheelchair accessible Gokarna Bagmati bridge.

“I once saw a man on a wheelchair who was nearly run over on the road. I wondered why he didn’t use the sidewalk instead, until I saw that the sidewalk was uneven, full of pot holes, making it nearly impossible for him to navigate. As an able-bodied person I just did not realise how bad the situation was,” recalls Arun. “I want to use my expertise to make lives a little easier for fellow Nepalis in my own small way.”

With the government ready to cover 60 per cent of the construction cost, locals have begun door-to-door fundraising and organising charity events to meet the remaining expenses. If the committee can complete its fundraising goals, Jorpati will serve as a positive example that the worth of a society lies in how it treats its disadvantaged members.

“I am glad we didn’t wait for the government to come around and started this initiative on our own,” says an upbeat Danda Bahadur Budathoki, a wheelchair user who owns an electronics shop in Jorpati. “Right now there are three steps leading up to my shop which makes it is difficult for me to carry things inside. In a year, there will be ramps here which will let me move freely and I am sure my business will also pick up.”

The challenge of the physically challenged, a photo gallery by Cindrey Liu

Lack of proper roads and handicap-friendly infrastructure in Kathmandu Valley makes a challenge for mobility-impaired people to move around.

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Traffic bid to rein in public transporters

KATHMANDU, FEB 10 –

The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) has launched a monitoring campaign to ensure reservation of seats for women, people living with disabilities and senior citizens in all kind of public vehicles.

The Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act 1993 makes it mandatory for public transport entrepreneurs to reserve a certain number of seats for women, disabled and elderly people.

Traffic police started monitoring public vehicles from Friday following an increasing outcry from the general public over the plight of women, elders and people with disabilities. The initiative is also aims at controlling the use of vulgar words and pictures that are aimed at harassing women. The Act says each of the buses and microbuses plying on short routes should allocate six and two seats respectively.

According MTPD spokesperson DSP Pawan Giri, out of 860 monitored vehicles, only 340 had the signs, while remaining 520 were openly flouting the rules. “Even those who had the signs had not allocated seats to the needy people,” he said. Police have seized blue books of 520 vehicles and said the legal documents would be returned once they put up the required signs. “There will be no action in the first phase. However, they will be booked if caught again,” Giri added. The rule has it that two seats should be reserved for the people from these three groups in each long route vehicles and all public vehicle should have visible signs reading “reserved for women, people with disability and senior citizens”.

The monitoring started after a meeting among stakeholders, including Department of Transport Management and trade unions, on January 20.

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Reserved seats in public vehicle for disabled

NIRJANA SHARMA

KATHMANDU, Feb 10: The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) has revived its plan to ensure reserved seats for women, the disabled and elderly people in public transport vehicles.

Traffic police have directed public transport vehicles to ensure six reserved seats in every bus and two seats in every micro-bus for such minorities.

The traffic division had started the campaign for the first time in February, 2011. However, public vehicle users complain of misuse of reserved seats and of vehicle owners designating such seats just to escape traffic police penalty.

In the last seat reservation campaign, MTPD had forced more than 3,000 public transporters to mark out reserved seats in their vehicles. Non-complying vehicles will now be fined Rs 200 to Rs 1,000 from next week.

“The campaign has forced transport operators to reserve seats for women, the disabled and senior citizens,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Pawan Giri, spokesperson of MTPD.

MTPD warned 520 vehicles on the first day of its new campaign on Friday. “Vehicle documents have been seized and will be restored only after provisions are made for reserved seats in the vehicles,” he added.

The Disabled Protection and Welfare Act 1982 says that at least 5 percent of seats in public transport vehicles must be guaranteed for the disabled.

Similarly, the Vehicle and Transport Management Act 1992 has directed the authorities to ensure easier travel for women, the physically challenged and the aged, categorizing them as a special class.

The disabled can claim 45 percent discount on transport fare if they produce identity cards issued by the Women´s Development Office under the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare.

However, frustration among people with disabilities is rife due to the attitude of public transport staff and the rudeness of fellow passengers.

“Vehicle drivers generally do not stop if they see a person like me waiting for a ride,” says Bhoj Raj Shrestha, rights activist for the differently abled. Some vehicles speed past, spewing thick smoke in their faces.

Welcoming the traffic police move, he added that a monitoring mechanism was needed to implement the provision effectively.

Meanwhile, transport entrepreneurs blame the attitude of fellow passengers who refuse to yield seats reserved for the disabled, the elderly and women.

“Around 300 vehicles in the Valley had initiated the seat reservation provision during the 2011 traffic campaign but passengers rebuff staff when asked to cooperate and the situation sometimes goes beyond control,” said Dol Nath Khanal, general secretary of the Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs´ National Federation.

As per a recent agreement of MTPD and the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) with rights activists working for the welfare people with disability and against violence targetted at women, the government announced that it was to enforce seat reservations in public transport vehicles.

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None for the road

FEB 06 –

The bane of many drivers in the Kathmandu Valley for over a year now has been the hugely-successful campaign against drunk driving, better known as Mapase. This past December witnessed the crusade’s one-year anniversary; at the year’s end, a total of 91,174 drivers had been charged for driving under the influence. The flat fine of Rs 1,000 also massively increased revenue for the traffic police, which collected Rs 27 million last year, averaging Rs 73,900 every day. As a result of the drive, hospital trauma centres across the city reported a massive decrease in traffic-related accidents. In the 2011/12 fiscal year, the number of those severely injured in accidents decreased to 396, down from 553. Furthermore, road fatalities fell to 148, down from 171 the year before.

The great success of the first year has encouraged officials to be even more stringent. Besides a fine and licence confiscation, traffic police in January began seizing the vehicles of those intoxicated, leaving them to find their own means of transport to get to their destinations. More recently, police have even begun punching holes in the licenses of repeat offenders; after recieving five holes, licenses are made invalid altogether. These measures have managed to strike terror into the hearts of those who dare to drive under the influence. Measures to curb drunk driving on long-haul routes have also been introduced, with a steep fine of Rs 28,000 and a jail sentence of 28 days. A blanket ban on the sale of alcohol along the highways is also in place. For these actions, the government deserves praise.

The effort to curb drunk-driving could however do with  some fine-tuning. Imposing a zero-tolerance policy on driving under the influence is challenging. An indiscriminate application of the law means that social drinkers, like those who take a shot or two in the name of tradition or a friend’s birthday, are lumped together with unrepentant boozers. That’s why countries like the US, UK and some Nordic countries like Denmark and Norway, take into account the blood alcohol content (BAC), or the proportion of alcohol in the blood, as a means of verifying whether one is fit to drive or not. Permissible limits range from 0.02 to 0.08. A general rule of thumb for the latter is one drink (15 ml of hard liquor) per hour. That amount of alcohol usually leaves one in control of one’s faculties, including the ability to drive. Standardised Field Sobriety Tests are another, cheaper means of addressing the problem. The tests include measures like the Walk and Turn, where suspects are made to take nine heel-to-toe steps in a straight line and return without going off-balance. The test is said to be 90 percent foolproof. To further build on the success of the Mapase campaign, such measures could be adopted.

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Shrouded in smog

Kathmandu denizens do not seem to be aware of the threat from particulate pollutants suspended in the air around them

PRAGATI SHAHI

FEB 08 –

Dhaka, one of the fastest growing megacities in the world, was shrouded in smog in the second week of January this year. Experts blamed dust particles and harmful air pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels and bio-mass, industrial factories and construction sites, the growing number of brick kilns and vehicular movement for the city’s deteriorating environment, particularly during the dry season. In less than a year, Dhaka’s facade has completely changed, thanks to booming commercial multiplexes and infrastructural work. For a city that is home to an estimated 12 million people, economic development, driven by the construction of new business complexes and enterprises, roads and related infrastructure, is a necessity. However, unplanned urban planning and the failure to take the environment and public health into consideration are emerging as big challenges for many urban cities like Dhaka, particularly in this part of the world.

Just as Dhaka was recording record low temperature and blankets of smog, reports were pouring in of air pollution reaching hazardous levels in major Chinese cities, including the capital Beijing. Huge smog clouds smothered China with air pollution reaching critical levels in 67 cities, placing the health of millions at risk. Similarly, Delhi, another booming city in terms of population growth and industrial and infrastructural development, is enveloped by smog and dust for most parts of the year. The growing, unplanned rate of urbanisation and industrialisation, coupled with mass migration to urban cities like Dhaka, Delhi and Beijing has choked the city’s lifelines—its rivers and its environment. Kathmandu is no exception.

Given the scenario of urban cities in the region, the situation will be much more severe in Kathmandu, if the present rate of unplanned urbanisation and population growth continues. The Kathmandu Valley’s complex topography — its bowl-shaped structure which prevents the free movement of suspended air particulates — causes the accumulation of increasing amounts of pollutants from the rising number of vehicles and brick kilns, particularly in the dry season. However, although various independent studies have established that the level of air pollutants in the Valley is unexpectedly high, these findings have not been confirmed or assessed by the government, and no measures have been adopted to bring the same under control. This is partially due to the government’s laxity in repairing the seven air quality monitoring stations, all of which have remained dysfunctional for more than three years.

Kathmandu is ranked among the 20 most polluted cities of Asia. However, Valley denizens do not seem to be aware of the threat from the concentration of particulate pollutants suspended in the air around them. Particulate matter is one of the most harmful of air pollutants, consisting of solid and liquid particles that adversely affect health. Government statistics show that vehicle registration increased by 20 percent in the first four months (mid-July-mid-November) of the current fiscal year, with demand picking up, further aggravating the already polluted city. Currently, there are over 1.3 million registered vehicles in the country and the number is increasing at an annual rate of 10-20 percent. The use of adulterated fuel in these vehicles is furthering deteriorating the air quality of the city. Despite the widespread health hazards of vehicle emissions, the city is nonetheless focussing on widening roads and facilitating personal mobility through individual cars over mass public transport.

Despite all these problems, the Valley has still time to improve the quality of its air by focussing on the huge base of zero-emission, non-motorised, sustainable public transport. Various studies have shown that more than 63 percent of daily travel in Kathmandu is still carried out through buses while pedestrians and cyclists together account for close to a quarter of daily travel in Kathmandu.

Furthermore, the effective implementation of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard 2012 to ensure the collection of eight-hour and 24-hour samples of air pollutants like Total Suspended Particulates (TSP), Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), carbon monoxide, lead and ozone levels for at least 347 days out of a 365-day year is an immediate necessity. Likewise, the recently introduced Nepal Vehicle Mass Emission Standard (NVMES) 2012, which only permits the movement of environment-friendly zero emission vehicles complying with Euro III standards and restricts older Euro I vehicles, should be well regulated and monitored.

Unlike people living in neighbouring South Asian cities where most days are blanketed by smog and dust, Kathmandu still affords clear sunny skies and white snow-capped mountains during most of the year.

This means that it is still not late to make the city a clean, healthy and livable place. As the government is currently in the midst of the road expansion campaign, this is the right time to take adequate measures to ensure a green environment.

Creating more green spaces, reclaiming river corridors, enhancing greenery and encouraging cleaner means of transport by establishing cycle lanes are among some of the efforts concerned authorities should undertake, with the participation of the public. In this way, we can reinvigorate old Kathmandu, where the air was crisp and clean.

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साझाका अत्याधुनिक हरिया बस राजधानी भित्रिँदै

THURSDAY, 24 JANUARY 2013 15:54 नागरिक

सीबी अधिकारी, ललितपुर, माघ ११- लामो समयको प्रतीक्षापछि अब काठमाडौँ उपत्यकाका जनताले हरियो रङ्गको अत्याधुनिक साझा यातायात चढ्न पाउने भएका छन्। अस्तित्व नै समाप्त हुन लागेको मुलुककै जेठो साझा यातायातले आमउपभोक्तालाई मध्यनजर गर्दै अत्याधुनिक नयाँ संरचनाका साथ सेवा सञ्चालनको अन्तिम तयारी गरेको हो।

साझाले आफ्नो सेवालाई आधुनिक र व्यवस्थित ढङ्गले सञ्चालन गर्ने उद्देश्यका साथ आफ्ना हरिया बस काठमाडौँ भित्र्याउने अन्तिम तयारीमा जुटेको छ। यही महिनाको अन्तिमसम्म सबै प्रक्रिया पूरा गरेर फागुनको दोस्रो सातादेखि बस सञ्चालन गर्ने साझाले जनाएको छ। साझाले वातावरण अनुकूल युरो-३ मापदण्डका अत्याधुनिक १६ वटा बस उपत्यकामा सञ्चालन गर्न लागेको छ।

नयाँ बसमा चालकसहित ५५ सिट र दुई ढोका हुने छन्। बसमा चालकद्वारा ढोका खोल्ने र बन्द गर्ने व्यवस्था भएको विद्युतीय पद्धतिबाट चालक नियन्त्रित ढोकाको व्यवस्था गरिएको छ। बसको सुरक्षा अनुगमन गर्न बसभित्रै सिसी टिभी र एलसिडी डेक्सटप मोनीटर जडान गर्ने तयारी भइरहेको छ।

पहिलो चरणमा अत्याधुनिक सुविधासम्पन्न १६ वटा बस चक्रपथभित्रका मुख्य दुईवटा रुटमा सञ्चालन गर्ने अन्तिम तयारी भएको साझा यातायातका कार्यकारी अधिकृत पदमलाल महर्जनले बताए।

“यात्रु सेवाका लागि अहिलेसम्मकै अत्याधुनिक बस सञ्चालनको अन्तिम तयारीमा छौँ, माघभरि सबै प्रक्रिया पुर्‍याएर फागुनको दोस्रो हप्तादेखि काठमाडौँका जनताले हरियो रङ्गको सुविधासम्पन्न बस चढ्न पाउनेछन्,” उनले भने।

उनले साझाले सेवालाई गुणस्तरीय र प्रभावकारी बनाउन सरकार, नागरिक समाज, पत्रकार, यातायात व्यवसायी र आमउपभोक्तासमक्ष अपेक्षा गरेको छ भने। बस सञ्चालनका निम्ति साझाले दक्ष कर्मचारी, तालिम, पोसाकलगायतका व्यवस्था गरेको छ।

साझा यातायतका प्रबन्धक महेन्द्रराज पाण्डेले अत्याधुनिक प्रविधिमात्र नभइ दक्ष जनशक्तिका साथमा सेवा सञ्चालनका लागि कर्मचारी भर्ना प्रक्रिया भइरहेको बताए। उनले अहिले कर्मचारी भर्ना र छनौटको काम गरिरहेको जानकारी दिनुभयो। प्रबन्धक पाण्डेले भने, “साझा यातायातको विगतका राम्रा कुरालाई सिक्दै, खराबबाट पाठ सिकेर नयाँ किसिमबाट बस सञ्चालन गर्न लागिएको छ, यसले आमयात्रुलाई नयाँ अनुभूति पक्कै दिनेछ।”

साझाले आफ्नै स्रोतबाट बस खरिद गरी भन्सार तिरेर बस ल्याउन लागेको उहाँले बताउनुभयो। १६ वटा बसको भन्सारसहित करिब रु पाँच करोड मूल्य परेको साझाले जनाएको छ।

साझाका कार्यकारी अधिकृत महर्जनले हालै भारतको गोवामा गएर बसहरु निरीक्षणसमेत गर्नुभएको थियो। भारतको टाटा कम्पनीबाट खरिद गरिएका साझाका बस हाल भारतको रक्सौल भन्सार नाकामा आइपुगेका छन्।

त्यसैगरी, बस सञ्चालनका लागि रुट इजाजतका लागि श्रम तथा यातायात व्यवस्था मन्त्रालय र यातायात व्यवस्था विभागसँग कुरा भई निर्धारणको अन्तिम तयारी भइरहेको साझाको भनाइ छ। राजनीतिक हस्तक्षेपबाट ग्रस्त अर्द्धसरकारी संस्थालाई गएको जेठ ६ गते भएको विशेष साधारणसभाले गैरसरकारी अवधारणामा रुपान्तरण गरेको थियो।

साझाले आफ्ना साझाका पुराना बसहरु लिलाम बिक्री गरेको र बहुमूल्य पुराना मेसिनरी सामान कार्यालयमा भण्डारण गरी राखेको छ। सेवा सञ्चालनमा सहजता ल्याउन केही कार्यालयहरु, भवनहरु, पार्किङ क्षेत्र र खाली जग्गालाई भाडामा लगाएर आएको आयआर्जनबाट कर्मचारीको तलब सुविधाको प्रबन्ध गर्ने साझाले जनाएको छ।

एक वर्षअघि भएको साझाको विशेष साधारणसभाले कनकमणि दीक्षितको अध्यक्षतामा सात सदस्यीय सञ्चालक समिति गठन गरेको थियो। यसअघि विनियम संशोधनपूर्व साझाको सञ्चालक समितिको अध्यक्ष श्रम तथा यातायात व्यवस्था मन्त्रालयका प्रतिनिधि सञ्चालक समितिको अध्यक्ष रहने व्यवस्था थियो।

सरकारले वि.स. २०५८ माघ ११ देखि औपचारिकरुपमा साझा यातायात विघटन गरेको थियो। केही सेयर लगानीकर्ता र कर्मचारीको पहलमा पुनरावेदन अदालत पाटनमा मुद्दा दर्ता भई वि.सं २०५९ को अदालतको फैसलाबमोजिम वि.स. २०६२ देखि पुनः सञ्चालन गरिएको थियो।

पुनः सञ्चालनपश्चात साझाले काठमाडाँैदेखि वीरगन्ज, भैरहवा, स्याङ्जा, पाल्पा, गोरखालगायतका स्थानमा बससेवा सञ्चालन गरेको थियो। त्यसबेला साझाको उपत्यकामा मात्र ५० वटा बस सञ्चालनमा थिए।
सन् २००५ वैशाखदेखि साझाले काठमाडौँबाट तिब्बतको ल्हासासम्म दुईवटा बस र सोही अवधिमा काठमाडौँबाट भारतको नयाँ दिल्लीसम्म सेवा सञ्चालन गरेको थियो। वि.स. २०१८ मा तत्कालीन राजा महेन्द्रको अग्रसरता र निजी क्षेत्रको संलग्नतामा साझा यातायात सुरु भएको थियो। साझा स्थापनादेखि वि.स.२०२६ र वि.स. २०५८ मा बन्द भई पुनः सञ्चालन हुँदै आएको थियो।

विसं. २०३७ मा जापान सरकारले सहयोग गरेपछि साझा यातायातमा १८३ वटासम्म बस थिए। देशका विभिन्न ठाउँबाट काठमाडौँसम्म चल्ने साझा यातायात लोकप्रिय हुँदाहुँदै चरम राजनीतिक हस्तक्षेप र २०६४ सालमा भएको कर्मचारी आन्दोलनलगायतका कारण २०५८ सालबाट पूर्णरुपमा बन्द भएको थियो। रासस

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Outdated vehicles: A headache for Kathmandu

PRATIBHA RAWAL

KATHMANDU, Jan 30: An increasing number of old and outdated vehicles are causing multiple problems in the Kathmandu Valley.

However, apart from a couple of plans to replace old three wheelers, known as Bikram tempos, the government has never introduced any plans to deal with the problem.

The Department of Transport Management (DoTM), based on its internal study conducted in 2010, had deemed 3500 vehicles as unsuitable for plying, out of which only 525 vehicles are off the road so far.

Similarly, nationwide the number of unsuitable vehicles stood at 5,100, out of which only 765 are no longer in operation.

Today, along with the growing population, the number of vehicles in the valley, too, is increasing at a faster pace, resulting in various problems.

A decrepit airport taxi head to Sundhara. (PHOTO: BIKASH KARKI)

Old and outdated vehicles often break down in the middle of the road, causing traffic jams. Such vehicles are also prone to accidents. According to traffic police, a significant number of accidents in the valley can be traced to old and outdated vehicles.

In addition, vehicles that are in dilapidated condition cause pollution by emitting more carbon dioxide. A report published by the Yale University in the U.S ranks Nepal third from the bottom for progress against air pollution.

As most people cannot afford to exchange their vehicles with new ones every ten or twenty years, and as even those who can are reluctant to do so, the problems caused by worn out vehicles are here to stay.

“The government is serious about this issue. We are searching for an appropriate solution to this problem,” said Chandra Phunyal, director at DoTM.

However, Phunyal said that the government cannot force people to discard their old vehicles by setting an age bar. “It would be inappropriate for us to set age bar for vehicles,” said Phunyal. “A vehicles condition does not depend on their ages, but on how well they are managed.”

Dol Nath Khanal, general secretary of National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs (NFNTE), said they need incentives from the government to replace old and outdated vehicles.

“The government should provide tax rebate to those who replace old vehicles with new ones,” says Khanal. “Though we have submitted many proposals regarding this problem to the government in the past, political instability has deterred progress on the matter.”

Two years ago, the government had formed Transport Sector Reform Committee to resolve this issue. The committee headed by Sharad Chandra Poudel, director general of the DoTM, had suggested that the government replace 20-year-old vehicles from the valley by providing as much as 90 percent discount on import duty.

The committee had also recommended that outdated taxis operating at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) be immediately replaced. But, the committee´s recommendations have not been implemented yet.

“We had tried our best but couldn´t change a thing back then. Now, I hear that the government is rethinking on our proposal,” shared Poudel.

He further added, “The problem can´t be solved in one stroke. The government will have to deal with it step by step.”

During 1998, the government had replaced old and outdated buses with new micro-buses in the valley. Later, in 1999, the government displaced Bikram tempos by providing huge discounts on customs duty to their owners for importing new vehicles. But, no serious effort has been taken by the government to solve the problem since then.

“Like Bikram tempos, other vehicles also can be replaced by proving attractive discounts to vehicle owners,” says Phunyal. “The government should solve this problem tactfully rather than forcefully.”

Schools scrapping outdated buses

Though the government is finding removing of old vehicles from the Kathmandu Valley a hard nut to crack, there has been significant decline in the number of outdated vehicles carrying private school students.

According to the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, around 60 percent of the vehicles used by private schools to ferry students were outdated five years ago. Eight hundred school buses were plying in the valley at that time.

Of the total 1100 school vehicles, around 300 buses are new, which were replaced as per the guidelines issued by the Department of Education (DoE). In its directive issued in October last year, the DoE had said that the vehicles must have a capacity of at least 40 seats. The directive also set yellow as the color code for school vehicles.

The Private and Boarding School Organization of Nepal (PABSON) chairman Baburam Pokhrel said that his organization has also notified the schools in the valley to replace vehicles older than 20 years.

——

INTERVIEW

´No concrete plan to manage old vehicles´

Chandra Phunyal,
Director, Department of Transport Management (DoTM)

How can the problems created by outdated vehicles be solved?

First, I want to correct a misconception. These problems are not created by outdated vehicles themselves. These problems arise due to the lack of proper management of outdated vehicles. These problems are serous and exist not only in the Kathmandu Valley but across the nation. At present, we do not have a concrete plan to manage old vehicles. But, we are serious about formulating plans for the management of old and outdated vehicles.

In developing countries like Nepal, replacing vehicles every ten or twenty years is not possible because most people cannot afford to do so. Therefore, there should be some incentives to those who want to replace their old vehicles.

Why do older proposals remain unimplemented?

We can only recommend solutions to the government. Our department had submitted many proposals regarding the issue but they could not be implemented in lack of a stable government. But, the government is eager to solve the problem as soon as possible.

Which kind of vehicles should be urgently replaced?

All sorts of old vehicles need to be replaced with new ones. Especially, the taxis which are operating at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) need to be replaced straight away as they affect the first impression of tourists visiting the country.

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