KAVREPALANCHOWK, JULY 17

Emergency Information System boards placed along the BP Highway connecting the federal capital to the eastern Tarai have been left in the lurch for past seven years.

According to the Department of Roads, though a study was conducted last year for the full-fledge operation of the system, it has still not happened. Though the boards were expected to display vital information for roadway users, this has not been possible yet.

The boards were meant for displaying digitalised information based on the present meteorological condition, incidents of natural disasters, situation of the roadway, road accidents, and so on.

Under the system, digital information boards have been fixed at five locations along the Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas section of the highway. The board gets featured from Dhulikhel of Kavrepalanchowk, the gateway to the highway, to Bardibas of Mahottari.

According to Department engineer Anant Baral, the Dhulikhel-based board has failed to display updated information as per the atmospheric condition, just two boards one at Dhulikhel and another at Khurkot of Sindhuli are operating at minimum level as they just display generation information such as 'be aware while driving', 'follow traffic rules'.

They plan to operate three boards soon, highlighting the need to ensure a separate mechanism soon to provide necessary information for travellers.

As per the Department, the system remains almost unused in the absence of human resources to handle this and other technical problems. The effective operation of the system may contribute to enhancing road safety by minimising probable cases of road accidents and consequences.

This year, monsoon is highly active and the highway was disrupted for a month due to heavy rainfall. The full-fledged operation of the system will obviously be convenient for travellers. The highway is the shortest highway connecting the federal capital with eastern Tarai.

A version of this article appears in the print on July 18, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.