Kathmandu, August 24

Metropolitan Traffic Police Division has announced odd-even rule on alternate days for vehicles in Kathmandu valley during the fourth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation summit scheduled to be held on August 30 and 31.

According to MTPD, a decision to this effect was made to make the arrival and mobility of VIP foreign guests and representatives of the BIMSTEC Summit secure, systematic and easy. The odd-even rule will be rolled out for three days — from August 29 to 31.

“It will be applicable for all public and private vehicles, both two-wheelers and four-wheelers,” MTPD in-charge Senior Superintendent of Police Basant Kumar Pant said.

This rule means that vehicles with number plates ending in odd numbers (1,3,5,7 and 9) will be allowed to ply the roads on August 29 and 31 while those in even numbers (0,2,4,6 and 8) will be permitted to ply the road on August 30. However, emergency vehicles like ambulance, hearse and those of security agencies and hospitals will be exempt from the odd-even rule.

MTPD says over 1.1 million vehicles, including 700,000 two-wheelers, ply the valley roads daily. The road space rationing, also known as alternate-day travel, is expected to reduce the traffic by half on the roads for three days.

Traffic congestion in Kathmandu has become increasingly severe in recent times and the odd-even rule will also decrease traffic jam to create enough road space for movement of participants of the BIMSTEC Summit while further bolstering security situation.

Traffic police said any vehicle violating the rule would be detained on the spot.