KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project, commenced by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works with the support of Asian Development Bank, recently presented preliminary recommendations for finding out an amicable solution to the traffic chaos in the Kathmandu Valley.

The interim report dwells on the preliminary recommendations of Asian Development Bank’stechnicalassistance (TA) for sustainable urban transport in the Valley.

TA began on October 5, in coordination with MoPPW. The scope of work includes immediate measures to improve operations of public transport, implement a traffic management plan for the central areas of Kathmandu, introduce pedestrian areas in the old town of the capital city with links to transport facilities and improve the air quality within the Valley. David Irwin, team leader, KSUT said increasing number of private motorised vehicles, narrow roads, ill-managed and limited capacity of junctions and unattractive public transport system were worsening the prevailing level of congestion.

“Within the Valley, traffic

congestion is most acute in Kathmandu. Responsibility for rectifying these problems is spread across five government departments and one municipality,” he said.

According to KSUT, Department of Roads is responsible for the upkeep of most main roads in the city, Department of Transport Management for vehicle registration and regulating public transport, Traffic Police for supervision and enforcement of traffic regulations, Kathmandu Metropolitan City for local roads, parking and footpaths, Ministry of Environment for monitoring air quality and Department of Urban Development and Building Construction for the completion of a critical strategic road (the Bishnumati Road Link). KSUT is coordinating with these agencies for the purpose.

It is mandatory for these institutions to agree on a vision and work towards it in a coordinated and integrated manner. “I am hopeful that ADB and other external agencies will support this multi-agency approach,” Irwin added. The interim report has proposed nine recommendations for resolving the increasing traffic congestion: increase the capacity of the strategic network with affordable reach, reduce the proportion of private motorised vehicles in the central areas, encourage people to travel by public transport or foot

instead of private vehicles, managing the traffic so that people can travel without major congestion, improve the physical and

social environment for greater transport equity, coordination and implementation of

the vision recommended and financing the vision.

The Project Preparation Technical Assistance is a project

with an ADB grant assistance

of $8 lakhs for 6.5 months. It is implemented by the UK-based consultancy William Sales Partnership together with GOECE

Consultants Pvt Ltd.

ADB has promised an assistance of $20 million and may provide further grant of $3 million on the condition that the government agencies work together to translate the vision into reality, said Nairo Saito, ADB, Manila.

More than 4.5 lakhs motorised vehicles are plying on the roads of Kathmandu Valley, resulting in umpteen traffic jams.

According to Metropolitan

Traffic Police Division, the number of vehicles has already exceeded what the valley roads can cope for smooth run.

Purna Kadaria, secretary, MoPPW, Babu Ram Acharya, secretary, Ministry of Labour and Transport Management and Kamal Raj Pandey, joint-secretary, MoPPW, have unequivocally lauded the vision and committed to extending their support to implement

it.