The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division has launched a special traffic management plan targeting the upcoming festivals of Bada Dashain, Tihar and Chhath.
The division has stated that the festival special security plan came into effect from Monday with the objective of making the festival safe, dignified and organised by arranging maximum mobilization of traffic police, effective management, quick and easy access to services.
“We have implemented a security plan to manage the traffic congestion during the festival, minimise accidents and address various problems that the passengers may face while visiting their hometowns,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Janak Bhattarai said.
He said that bus parks, ticket counters, other crowded places and health check-ups for coronavirus infection would be monitored during the travelling period.
Forty-three traffic police offices will be carrying out vehicle checks four times a day as per the schedule and 24-hour checkings are carried out at the checkpoints.
SSP Bhattarai said that the number of drink and drive will increase under the pretext of having fun during the festival and the risk of accidents will increase. “We will also be watchful in this regard,” he said.
“I expect that special checking plans would be successful to reduce the number of road accidents that may happen due to over speed and drink and drive cases to zero level, especially during the festive season,” he said. “Night vision laser speed guns will also be used to control over speeding,” he said.
The division has a plan to strictly check all types of vehicles that will leave the valley from Thankot, Nagdhunga, Jagati, Pharping, Sankhu, Balaju Bypass, Mudkhu and Tokha. The division has stated that it will check whether the long-distance vehicles are carrying passengers beyond their capacity and charging higher fares.
In the special security plan made public by the department, it is mentioned that the provision of having two drivers in the long-route vehicles would be monitored from the field and special applications developed by the division.
The division has further planned to deploy more traffic policemen in the congested market areas to manage traffic.
Spokesperson of the Division, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Sharma Das said that additional traffic policemen have been managed to facilitate the movement, especially in the bus park areas, valley entry points, shopping complexes, malls, where people and vehicles come for shopping.
“Considering the experience of overcrowding in New Road Area, Thamel, Kalimati, Kalanki, Balkhu, Koteshwar, Gaushala, Chabahil, Bouddha, Balaju, Bus Park and other areas, traffic and parking management will be arranged accordingly by mobilising more staff members if necessary,” Sharma said.
“Vehicle diversion will also be done in inner areas including Khichhapokhari and Indrachowk if vehicle pressure increases uncontrollably,” Sharma said.
Passenger help desks at 14 points
Passenger help desks will be set up at 14 places in the Kathmandu Valley. There will be help desks in Nagdhunga, Kalanki, Swayambhu, Machhapokhari, New Bus Park, Chabahil, Gaushala, Koteshwor, Jagati, Satdobato, Balkhu, Dakshinkali, Sundhara and Old Bus Park.
The desk will mainly manage and facilitate travellers in getting right information to the general public and passengers about pickpocketing and other criminal activities and safeguarding their belongings while travelling, adhering to health protocols, managing the complaints of the passengers, including ticket and fare fraud.
Plainclothes traffic police in vehicles
SSP Bhattarai said they have started deploying plainclothes traffic policemen in Gongabu New Bus Park area, Kalanki, Balkhu, Satdobato, Koteshwar, Old Bus Park, Gaushala, Jadibuti and other crowded places and ticket counters to control possible fare fraud, fake tickets and double ticket buyers and to arrest them red-handed.
The division has requested the public to immediately inform the nearest police or dial on 103 if there is any suspicion of charging more than the prescribed travel fare, not keeping two drivers in the long-route vehicles and if the driver is drunk.
Source : TRN,
