This refers to news story “EC orders re-poll in Ward 19 of Bharatpur metropolis” (THT, June 4, Page 1). It is somewhat surprising to note that there was no law in force against such acts during the election. The decision of Election Commission to conduct a re-poll does not seem to be fair enough as such a decision will certainly have adverse effect in the future elections, especially when the next phase of election in the Tarai region is at the door. Anyway, such a criminal act cannot be considered a good thing to be supported by anyone. What I personally feel is that there should be a legal provision of automatic disqualification of the candidate, whichever party he or she represents, whether big or small, in such an incident and counting of the ballots of the remaining wards should be continued. This sort of provision will certainly prevent recurrence of such unlawful acts in the future elections.  In the case of Bharatpur, too, EC should have taken a mid way rather than ordering re-polling as the tearing of some ballot papers had taken place after the counting was almost over, and the CPN-Maoist Centre’s mayoral candidate was perceived to lose.

Suman Raj Sharma, Lainchaur

Jaywalking

Apropos of the news story “Drive against jaywalking to be expanded” (THT, June 3, Page 2), Nepali road managers and planners should eventually go for road infrastructure like the one shown in the photo on THT, June 4, Page 1. If Nepal can do this, it will be win-win for all the road users and overseers. Until then traffic enforcement and vigilance and public awareness and obedience are the only solutions. However, to ensure pedestrian compliance, there is urgent need to paint the new and faded zebras. Also, as these zebras melt into the dark at night, they must be painted with glow colours, failing which spotlight should be shown on them throughout the night for the safety of the pedestrians.

In order to keep up with the number of pedestrian population in the valley, zebras should be painted at every five hundred metres, especially in places like New Road, Khincha Pokhari, Pako, Pulchowk to Gwarko, Godavari to Kopundole, Thapathali to Kalanki, Tripureswor to Buddhanilkantha, Srijana Nagar to Bhaktapur Khauma tole. People should not have to walk half a mile just to cross the road. If the government lacks resources, the money collected from the fines could be used to buy paints and 4,243 pedestrian defaulters could be taught to paint the zebras rather than being given lessons in road rules at the traffic police office. However, just painting zebras is not enough. Motorists and bikers should be forced to respect them. At times pedestrians have to jostle with them to cross the road safely. In order to discipline them, they could be charged 1000 rupee fine plus lengthy classes for trying to push or

obstruct the pedestrians from crossing the road on the sacred zebras. It is also imperative that the speed is limited in the Valley to avoid killing obedient pedestrians or smashing tippers, trucks, motors and bikes against road guards or walls or crowd or other vehicles.

Manohar Shrestha, Kathmandu