By Indira Aryal

Kathmandu, Jan.12: Despite steps towards expanding road networks in the Kathmandu Valley, the surge in number of vehicles that ply on the roads has continued to pose challenge in the management of traffic.
With low human resource, limited road facilities, unmanaged footpaths and ineffective coordination between different government agencies - management of over 1.2 million vehicles has remained unabated.
In the recent days, Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) has taken steps to deal with the daunting situation of traffic related problems in the valley. They are adopting new technology and some signs of changes can already be observed in this regard.
To make the traffic flow easy, new one-way system has started and making turnings has been banned in many places. Also, maintenance and installation of new traffic lights in different locations has begun. There are at least 1,700 CCTV cameras installed to track vehicles and over 5000 vehicles have been taken into action with the help of CCTV footage. In the last fiscal year alone, over Rs.1 billion revenue was collected from traffic punishment.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bhim Prasad Dhakal, of MTPD said that plans to install smart traffic lights in different locations of Kathmandu valley is underway and plans to install such traffic lights has been presented to the Home and Transportation Ministry. “In the upcoming days, the installation of smart traffic lights will begin,” said SSP Dhakal.
MTPD has also increased the awareness campaign and also engaged in education, enforcement and engineering to improve the traffic management. Awareness programme under the Community Police Partnership Programme has organised different awareness programmes for the public about traffic lights, traffic rules, road discipline, driving security and behaviour.
The programmes are organised among public and private drivers, school students, college students, and to the people walking in the street.  
To bring about the changes, Ujjyalo Campaign (traffic awareness programme) has also started from mid-December last year with the initiation of the Community Police Partnership Programme.
Apart from using the traditional media, new media was also used for the campaign. SSP Dhakal said that social media campaign for awareness was also initiated. Traffic office has also started to put informative hoarding boards in the zebra- crossing and different parts of the roads showing different policies

regarding traffic system. Already 200 boards have been installed in the valley, added SSP Dhakal.
Around 1500 people are provided lessons about traffic rules in a day. Some 60,000 people have already received classes in the last five months. All 44 units of traffic police are working to educate people about traffic rules and regulations.
Traffic police believe such massive campaign helps in reduction of accidents. SSP Dhakal believes that at least 40 per cent of road accidents can be reduced this year compared to last year.
In the last fiscal year (2075-76), 2789 people died in road accidents across the country, and this fiscal year (2076- 77) in five months, 1030 cases have been registered. While inside the Valley, 239 death registered last year, and in the last five months of this year 76 cases have been registered. SSP Dhakal said a massive awareness campaign for drivers and the public was the means to bring changes to the whole system. 
Still at large, the management of traffic system was further affected by the lack of human resource. As the number of vehicles have surged in the last six-year time frame, the number of human resources remains the same 1,000 personnel. There were around half a million vehicles, which has increased to 1.2 million.
SSP Dhakal said that there are at least 1,480 traffic police working in Kathmandu valley where over 400 have been under deputation from other parts of the country. He pointed out they require 2,000 traffic police for now.
Overall management of traffic system also has to do with management of parking space, footpaths and its encroachment by street vendors, large number of pedestrians as major hurdles in smooth functioning of traffic in major areas of Kathmandu valley. Only pointing out fingers at the traffic police is not the solution to overall problems.
SSP Dhakal said that the law of the country has given only 3 per cent responsibilities for the traffic police but the public people misconception that all the work should be done by the traffic police is wrong. “Different responsible bodies should work together for the betterment of the traffic system. Kathmandu Metropolitan City has a different role, the Transportation Department has another role, collective efforts can improve the system”, he added.