Kathmandu, August 6 :

After the Jana Andolan-II, the Valley has been witnessing more traffic jams than ever. Obstructing traffic has been a common means of people and organisations who want their voices heard. However, commuters may not worry about the choking jams any more as the Valley Traffic Police Office (VTPO) has finally come up with a plan to help motorists and the pedestrians alike.

The VTPO has set up a three-number phone line in which anyone can call and enquire about the traffic flow in the valley. The number — 103 — has not only become an easy tool for traffic police to solve traffic woes, it has also provided some relief to commuters.

Before travelling through a particular route, one has to simply dial 103 and ask whether there is a traffic jam on the way.

“If there is a traffic jam on the route people want to take, we will provide alternative routes for them,” Rabi Raj Shrestha, the SP at the VTPO, said.

The VTPO has recently established a mini-control room that takes the calls. Anybody can dial the number free of cost, provide information to the control room or ask anything relating to traffic, Shrestha said.

Not only do private vehicle drivers call the number, but taxi/tempo drivers and commuters have also been using the number. “I call up the number from my cell phone every time a customer asks me to go some place,” said Bharat Thapa Magar, a taxi driver. “Instead of complaining at the offices and bodies concerned, people block traffic even for a petty cause,” a police official said.

“The practice of blocking roads is giving the police a headache. We have to ask policemen on duty not to be very strict on traffic rules,” a police official said, insisting anonymity.

“If a traffic police takes action against a taxi/tempo driver or deals strictly with him and if they are unhappy with the punishment they go to the extent of blocking the road instead of complaining,” he said.