Traffic lessons from streets of Kathmandu

Ishrat S Banwait

THE increasing traffic woes in Chandigarh have prompted city residents to compare the situation with other metro cities. Meanwhile, people in those metros call Chandigarh a heaven in comparison. While both are right in their own way, it is a fact that the volume of traffic in the tricity has been increasing at the rate of knots. The Administration is taking multiple steps to tackle it and the traffic police are trying its best to regulate it. However, the residents need to chip in as well. 

A recent visit to Kathmandu was a lesson, revealing as to how residents can do their bit. The traffic situation in some places is worse than Chandigarh. However, there was one habit of all drivers that stood out and had to be taken note of. While no marked lanes were seen, the left lane, more often, stays completely empty. This, even when there are no slip roads and even if there is a lot of traffic. 

While this practice allows vehicles to turn left in no time, preventing chaos, it also allows a lane to be available for ambulances and fire trucks. On numerous occasions in the tricity, it has been seen that ambulances get stuck in traffic and even if some vehicles try and make way, it takes a lot of time. Not only this, even where slip roads are available, vehicles fill the left lane. Thus, the vehicles wanting to turn left are stuck behind those who have to turn left. 

One of the most popular cities for tourists in Kathmandu is Thamel. The huge market of Thamel has wonderful cafes, hotels, clubs, bars and shops that target tourists. Many streets in the marketplace are no-vehicle zones thus allowing people to easily walk through the always-busy marketplace. What is remarkable about this practice is that irrespective of the police presence, people do not try to sneak in their vehicles. Hence, while the onus of the implementation of practices in always thrown on the shoulders of the authorities, its high time that the residents do their bit. By the way, honking is minimal in Kathmandu.