National 3 (Spotlight Weekly)

Commuters' Content

Growing private-sector investment keeps residents happy

By NIRAJ POUDYAL

Krishna Man Awale used to spend more than an hour traveling from Koteshwor to Kalimati, changing two buses on the way. To reach some of his destinations, he was bound to walk up to an hour after getting off the bus.

Public transport : Still crowded

But that situation has changed. The liberalization of the transport policy in Kathmandu valley has introduced new routes and vehicles. Herds of brand-new and comfortable buses of all shapes and sizes are plying once desolate streets.

There is hardly a place in the valley that is not linked to a bus or tempo route or that does not touch the dense web of transportation. This has made life easier for a lot of people. No more delays in commuting to work and back. People need not worry about missing the bus, as the next one arrives within minutes. That way, the boss and the family, too, are happy.

Brand-new buses can be seen plying the roads of Kathmandu valley, competing with each other to lure passengers. They come with folding seats and spend less time on stops. Passengers have come to expect comfort and promptness and exercise their power of choice. The public transport system has experienced a sea change in the last couple of years.

"Investors are willing to increase capital flow in public transport. But we need broader roads and new routes first," says Hom Prasad Adhikari, former president of the Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs. "The way the traffic system is being managed in the valley must be reconsidered," he adds.

Tough competition has edged out older buses from the valley. Moreover, some of the Second World War-vintage minibuses are trying to attract passengers by replacing their hard and narrow seats by wide and springy ones.

To some extent, the surge in public transport has reduced the import of costly small private vehicles and the expensive fuel they run on. In addition, it has helped create jobs in an economy running out of options.

But manifold problems persist. "We still need to take some bold steps to organize the transport system of the city properly," says Sunil Poudyal, an engineer at the government's Department of Road. "The addition of routes and import of new buses cannot be the only solution. Construction of wider roads and reconstruction of the existing ones are necessary."

Whether a college student or government employee, the competition in the transport sector has benefited all. "I leave my house just thirty minutes before college starts. Five years ago, it was unthinkable," says Prashanta Kafle, of Kuleswor.

Other sees things differently. "Only the volume of vehicles and passengers has increased," says one distraught commuter. "The length as well as the width of the roads have remained almost the same. This has only increased traffic jams and the number of accidents."

The surge in the number of public vehicles has added pressure to the narrow streets of the capital that were already being clogged. Some say more reliable service can be provided to commuters with better management of the vehicles the capital already has. A court order has been issued against the introduction of new public vehicles inside the ring road perimeter.

But banning new public vehicles does not seem to be the right solution. "If we provide reliable mass transportation facilities, people will not feel compelled to buy their own motorcycle or car," said Indra Neupane, superintendent of police at the Valley Traffic Office. Reduced traffic pressure, fewer accidents and lower pollution emissions - the benefits are immense. The debate is bound to continue as moving around the capital gets easier.