Kathmandu, December 17:

Thanks to high population density, heavy traffic, encroached footpaths, narrow roads and the tendency of people to walk on the road, traffic jam has become an everyday affair in the Chabahil area.

The situation gets out of hand especially in the morning and evening as people call it a day and head for their quarters. Crowds descend on parking lots, making it difficult for drivers to

park their vehicles.

Vehicles headed for Bouddha, Jorpati, Sankhu, Lagankhel, Bhaktapur, Ratnapark and even those plying the Ring Road pass through Chabahil. Data of the Metropolitan Police Traffic Sector (MPTS), Gaushala, states that, on an average day, 7,826 vehicles, including taxies, trucks, private vehicles and motorbikes, pass through Chabahil.

Saila Lama, a local, says, “The people and vehicles jostle for space in the area and it takes quite a long time for the vehicles to pass through the area.”

“As footpaths are encroached, people descend on the road.” The area is a business hub and a number of academic institutions are based here. That is why, the area is densely populated.

As the area does not have a parking lot, the main road itself is used for parking vehicles. “The number of vehicles has dramatically increased in course of two years, but the roads have not been widened,” says Sita Ram Hachhethu, in-charge of the MPTS Gaushala.