Unmanaged Auto-Rickshaws Throw Nepalgunj Into Chaos


The city area of Nepalgunj is becoming disorganised day by day due to the lack of proper management of more than a thousand rickshaws, both battery-powered and auto, being operated there.
The traffic system has become a mess due to the rickshaws parked or waiting for passengers even in most of the crowded places of the city.
As the rickshaws are parked and driven in various streets and places of the city, the risk of accidents is increasing on the one hand and the public is being harassed on the other.
According to the Banke District Police Office, the number of accidents has increased due to unorganised parking of the rickshaws.

Deputy-Superintendent of Police (DSP) and spokesperson for the office Madhusudan Neupane said there was a problem in traffic management due to unorganised and excessive use of battery rickshaws and three-wheeled auto-rickshaws.

Locals have expressed indignation saying that the Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City and the traffic police have not paid enough attention to this pestering problem.
Krishna Prasad Shrestha, coordinator of Banke Civil Society said that the city of Nepalgunj has become chaotic due to such unorganised vehicles.

Even though the road was widened by demolishing infrastructure worth billions of rupees, the passengers had to suffer because of the haphazard rickshaws parked on both sides of the road.
Samad Siddiqui, a leader of Nepalgunj-11, said that people had to suffer and some have even met with accidents because such rickshaws are parked in schools, colleges, chowks and surrounding areas of hospitals.
“Sometimes I have witnessed five auto-rickshaws parked at the entrance of the hospital at a time,” he added.
He also blamed the traffic police office and the local government for not showing much interest in the management of battery rickshaws.

source : TRN,