Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police is implementing new rules and regulations on long-distance bus services to promote road safety and keep track of vehicle speed. In addition, in cooperation with the Department of Transport Management (DoTM), the authority is making it mandatory for all long-route public buses to have GPS installed on them.
The initiative is aimed at reducing traffic congestion in the capital and helping prevent road accidents. The rules apply to all day and night long-distance buses. Under the new ruling, the buses will only have to depart from their designated bus parks. The authorities are hoping to eliminate the practice of boarding and alighting on the roadside.
“Road congestion in the capital is rising rapidly, and the illegal roadside boarding and alighting by long-distance buses only worsens the problem. To address this, all buses must now leave from bus parks,” said SP Nareshraj Subedi, spokesperson for the Valley Traffic Police Office.
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GPS on long-route public buses
The Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police is also mandating the installation of GPS on all long-distance buses departing from Kathmandu. By using the GPS on buses, traffic authorities can track the speed of the vehicles in real-time, which can be meaningful in preventing highway accidents.
Also, the system will help the authorities check on the vehicles’ speed, overspeed, crossing lanes, etc.
The traffic police office has also indicated that it will operate more strictly on drink and drug driving and have violators attend traffic awareness classes. These classes aim at instilling a sense of awareness and responsibility among the drivers.