KATHMANDU, DEC 11 - Despite the traffic situation in several parts of the Capital improving due to the placement of concrete traffic dividers, their mismanagement has created an equal number of problems.

The Department of Roads placed heavy concrete blocks marked in yellow and black in different parts of Kathmandu to separate the lanes. But several blocks have broken down and traverse the road, while in some areas, the glow stickers placed on them have faded. On the Baneshwor-Maitighar stretch, dividers infringe the lanes themselves, leading to further problems, especially at night.

“Once I was about to hit a divider while turning at Harihar Bhawan at night. Thankfully I wasn’t riding the motorcycle at a high speed at the time,” said Kshitiz Chhetri, a motorcycle rider.

The problem is not only limited to stretches inside the Valley. Even on the Ring Road, the absence of street lights means dividers are very difficult to ascertain as the glow stickers have faded.

Chang Pradhan, a taxi driver, faced a similar problem. “In the night, I really can’t see the divider and it creates problems while turning.”

According to Deputy Inspector General Police Binod Singh, Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD), the cat’s eye system was brought in to maintain lane discipline and assist in night-time driving. But the system was of no use. Then, plastic cones were used as dividers. But vehicles started turning through gaps between the cones. “The cones also became the best tool for protesters to set on fire to demonstrate their anger,” Singh said. After the failed cones experiment, walls were built to divide lanes, such as in the stretch between the Himalaya Hotel and Jawalakhel. However, such walls became a problem in narrow streets where they consumed a lot of space. “At last, the cement blocks were brought in to divide the lanes. But protesters are now using the blocks to demonstrate and burn tires. The glow stickers pasted on the blocks are taken out by the protestors as well. The ropes between two blocks are also split by vehicles while turning from restricted areas,” Singh said.

Singh also added that the traffic police are responsible to monitor the traffic and take action against violators, managing the blocks and the glow stickers isn’t their responsibility. “We don’t have the budget to add colours, paste glow stickers and rope each block. It’s the responsibility of the road department,” Singh further said, adding that he had repeatedly requested the department to repair the dividers.

However, the roads department blames the traffic police. “We don’t have sufficient budget as well. It’s the traffic police’s duty to manage all these things. We only take care of roads and traffic lights,” said Balram Mishra, chief of Kathmandu Road Division Office. Mishra said that he is now committed to manage those lane dividers in near future.

According to Singh, a divider is not usually needed for safe riders. But to prevent accidents that usually take place due to illegal turns and overtaking, dividers play an important role.

MTPD has no specific data of accidents caused due to dividers. But according to them, 119 out of the 310 accidents

since Oct. 18 have taken place at night.

 

Posted on: 2009-12-11 03:26

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