Kathmandu, March 10

Traffic cops are set to introduce new lane rules along Koteshwor-Kalanki stretch to enhance road safety and reduce accidents.

Metropolitan Traffic Police Division said separate lanes were set aside for particular types of vehicles along the eight-lane road.

As per the new rules which will come into effect from March 15, four left lanes have been designated as service lanes for commuter buses, trucks,tippers,lorries,tempos and tractors. Motorcycles and light and private vehicles will have to take the right lanes. Senior Superintendent of Police Bhim Prasad Dhakal, MTPD in-charge, said the new rules would be strictly implemented to uphold lane discipline, reduce road accidents and ease traffic congestion along the road stretch. He said a monitoring committee comprising all stakeholders was also formed to implement the rules. According to MTPD, the 10-km road section records an average of 75 accidents a month.

Speed limit for vehicles taking the service lanes and main lanes is 20km and 50km per hour, respectively.

Traffic cops armed with laser radar guns have been deployed along the road stretch to check overspeeding.

The equipment can measure speed of a vehicle from 300 metres away.

It can also take still and video images of the vehicle in question. Each traffic rule violator is slapped with a fine of Rs 500.

Superintendent of Police Jeevan Kumar Shrestha, MTPD spokesperson, said rampant violation of lane discipline was one of the key reasons behind increasing number of road accidents.

Around 33 per cent of the victims were pedestrians.

“Drivers and riders rarely take precaution and use signals while changing the lane to overtake a vehicle. A small negligence could cost a life,” he said.

Earlier, MTPD enforced new rules along the Koteshwor-Suryabinayak road section. According to MTPD, as many as 254 persons were killed in road accidents in Kathmandu valley in fiscal 2018-19 compared to 219 in the previous fiscal.