Govt told to build footpaths regardless of road’s width

Kathmandu, June 9: Saying the recently constructed roads and footpaths in the Kathmandu Valley were unfriendly to the pedestrians, the Development Committee of the Legislature-Parliament Friday directed the government to mandatorily construct footpaths on every road, regardless of their width.

In addition to it, Committee chairman Rabindra Adhikari asked the concerned agencies to create zebra crossings at every 120-metre section of the road within two weeks and install other traffic symbols within two months.

The House panel directed the government, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT), Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA), Department of Transport Management, Department of Roads, Nepal Police – Metropolitan Traffic Police Division and the metropolitan cities and municipalities in the Valley to manage the minimum traffic furnishings like zebra crossing, traffic light, lane line and traffic symbols.

It criticised the government for giving little priority to footpath construction while building and expanding road infrastructure in the urban areas, and asked the concerned agencies to begin constructing footpaths on the roads where such facility is not available, and develop standards to create uniformity in the footpaths of the city.

“Urban roads and highways in the cities are not according to modern standards, therefore, the committee directs the MoPIT and MoUD to create a joint committee to formulate standards to distinguish between different types of roads. It should be done within a month,” read the decision of the Committee.

As many diplomatic agencies in the Valley did not cooperate with the government in the road expansion, the House panel has drawn the government’s attention to resolve the issue diplomatically.

Similarly, the Committee has also asked the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Police Headquarters to cut short the commission that the traffic police personnel get from the fines paid by the violators of traffic rules, citing that the public held negative views on such commission.

“Instead of distributing the commission to the police personnel, the government should provide risk allowances and incentives,” said Adhikari.

The Committee has asked the city offices to clean up the footpaths and overhead bridges and remove shops and prevent the organization of public events there.

Likewise, it has directed the MoUD and Traffic Police to install traffic lights within five months from internal resources.

The government has already initiated a process to install traffic signals on the roads in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the committee had asked to mobilise internal resources should the process with the ADB prolong.

It has also directed the concerned agencies to launch traffic awareness campaigns and provide sufficient budget for the activities that it has asked the government to perform.