Dashcams and trackers aim to curb overcharging, passenger mistreatment and accident disputes, but operators want clearer rules
KATHMANDU, JUNE 24
Step onto a public vehicle in the Kathmandu Valley these days, and chances are you're being watched - for your own safety, officials say.
Dashcams, CCTV cameras and GPS trackers have now been fitted in 3,303 public vehicles across the Valley, part of a sweeping push by the Department of Transport Management and traffic police to clean up an often-chaotic public transport system.
The message to operators has been blunt: install the technology or face consequences. Regular inspections have already pushed many transport businesses to comply.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SP) Suresh Prasad Kafle, chief of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, said the surveillance push targets some of the sector's most persistent complaints, passenger mistreatment, fare overcharging and other irregularities that have long frustrated commuters.
The technology's reach goes beyond fare disputes. Camera footage and GPS logs will also help establish accountability when accidents occur, Kafle said, potentially cutting down on the blame games that often follow road crashes, and curbing attempts to exploit insurance claims.
For vehicle owners, GPS tracking offers a fringe benefit: real-time visibility into where their vehicles are and how drivers are operating them, giving owners a new layer of oversight over their own fleets.
Meanwhile, the cameras roll continuously inside vehicles, creating a record that police say will make it far easier to settle disputes and probe passenger complaints, no more relying solely on conflicting accounts.
The transport industry, for its part, has cautiously welcomed the change. Saroj Sitoula, president of the Nepal National Federation of Transport Entrepreneurs, called it a positive step, but cautioned that the government must spell out clear implementation guidelines so operators know exactly what's expected of them.
For now, the surveillance system covers thousands of vehicles, but not all. Traffic police spokesperson Superintendent of Police Naresh Raj Subedi said the plan is to eventually make cameras and GPS mandatory for every public service vehicle plying the Valley's roads.
Officials are betting the watchful eyes will pay off: fewer accidents, faster resolution of passenger grievances, and drivers who think twice before cutting corners.
