Lalitpur: Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal has laid emphasis in making traffic management in the Kathmandu Valley more effective and user-friendly, highlighting the region’s role as the federal capital and its rich cultural diversity. Minister Dahal expressed his dismay that although Kathmandu Valley, comprising districts like Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur, is the center of the country’s economic, cultural, and administrative activities, its transport system remains unorganized.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Dahal called for decisive steps to streamline the transportation system in the Valley during a meeting of stakeholders on the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Kathmandu Valley Urban Transport System Master Plan Project in Lalitpur. He expressed concern that the state of the transportation system had deteriorated despite the rollout of the first transport management-related master plan in 2012 and its update in 2017.
The Minister noted that the increasing number of vehicles, unorganized urbanization, and insufficient infrastructures contribute to traffic jams, delays, and rising air pollution. These challenges have negatively impacted not only the transportation system but also economic productivity and public health. He stressed that there should be no delay in effectively managing the transportation system.
Minister Dahal cautioned, “If we do not take decisive actions now, the situation will further deteriorate, which will negatively impact the environment of the Valley and put its sustainability at risk. This Project could be our last chance to find both short-term and long-term solutions.”
Similarly, Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi reaffirmed the commitment to cooperation and coordination on the part of his Ministry for effective traffic management in the Valley. Keshav Kumar Sharma, Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, underscored the need for multilateral coordination to ensure a sustainable, safe, and inclusive transport system in the Kathmandu Valley.
During the meeting, experts from the concerned agencies presented a concept paper on how to make the transport system effective and user-friendly in the Kathmandu Valley.