Better citizens, better traffic
Anyone who has been driving a car or riding a bike around Kathmandu for some time will agree that the amount of time to reach from point A to B has significantly increased in the past few years. With the number of vehicles increasing and the road expansion slowing, the city has become accustomed to incessant traffic jams, especially during rush hours.
The Metropolitan Traffic Police Department (MTPD) cites lack of infrastructure as the main culprit for the unmanageable road congestions. The streets of Kathmandu are ill-equipped to serve around 1.2 million vehicles registered in the valley alone, forget the vehicles that are registered outside and are plying here. “Our roads are not built for such volumes,” says a traffic police spokesperson. “As we don’t even have rudimentary traffic management technology, our work is difficult.”
Still, greater awareness among motorists and pedestrians could help to greatly minimize traffic jams. But that is evidently not the case here. On a recent afternoon, the Baggikhana, the MTPD headquarters, was packed with traffic rule violators who were there to pay their fines and attend the mandatory traffic awareness classes. None of them showed any remorse. “It is my first time being penalized for cutting the lanes,” a young man in a group of offenders waiting for the next class said. “The traffic police was too harsh. Everyone cuts lane and here I am, penalized.” A middle-aged man joined the conversation claiming how the government cannot catch criminals and corrupt politicians and instead focuses on common people who have only had a drink or two and can safely ride their way home. Everyone nodded in agreement.
The streets of Kathmandu are indeed choking. It is true that the government should be doing its bit to ease the pressure on Kathmandu’s roads. Having better traffic technology would certainly help. But forget the traffic police and the government for a moment. Isn’t it also the responsibility of pedestrians and motorists to play their part to make their city clean and orderly? ...
We all complain about bad traffic. But what are we doing about it?
The problems
(Note: We writing this article, the author tried to get in touch with many traffic police personnel. They all declined to comment. Instead all of them asked him to consult the official traffic police spokesperson. That is what he did)
“Our biggest problem is infrastructure,” says Rabi Kumar Poudel, Superintendent of Police and Traffic Police Spokesperson. “It is easier to manage traffic in cities with wide roads, overhead bridges, flyovers, footpaths, zebra-crossing and other infrastructures.”
Poudel says more advanced and bigger cities also have traffic jams but they are still easier to manage because of better planned infrastructure. “There is bound to be a traffic jam wherever there is a crossroad. Properly planned streets make these jams more manageable,” Poudel says.
Kathmandu’s roads also lack even basic traffic technology. Most of the traffic management in Kathmandu is done manually by traffic personnel. Braving dust, smoke and other street hazards, on-duty traffic personnel have to spend hours on end on busy street, to try and control the ebb and flow of traffic. “But manual traffic management is not feasible during rush hours,” adds Poudel.
“These days we won’t even need traffic police personnel at major junctions if we have well-functioning traffic lights. But as we do not, sometimes even seven or eight traffic police personnel are not enough to manage a single junction.”
Apart from right technology, the streets are also short of proper signboards and signals—what the traffic police term “road furnishings.” Motorists and pedestrians have the right to be informed about speed limits, one-way entries, right turns, zebra crossings and other instructions before they are penalized for violating the rules. There have been cases, Poudel says, where motorists have been caught for violating rules they had no idea about. “We do not have proper lanes and road signage to help the motorists,” he says. “But we are still forced to penalize them if they make mistakes.”
Some traffic rules that the traffic police is forced to implement are dubious too. For instance, a traffic police can impose a speeding fine on a vehicle going over 50 kmph on a 50km speed limit road. But if the same person drives at the speed of 10 kmph on the same road and blocks traffic, there is no law to charge the driver.
What can we do?
“We are deployed at risk of great health hazards, just to serve the public,” Poudel says. “Even if we do not have enough infrastructure and technology, the public can at least support us by being aware on the streets, respecting each other’s space, and complying with traffic rules.”
Motorists should understand that the road is made for everyone and respect traffic rules. Overtaking on corners, overtaking from the left side, rushing through traffic lights, not maintaining lane discipline and blocking lanes by driving too slowly are some problems the traffic police identify as additional reasons for Kathmandu’s traffic jams.
With more than 1.2 million vehicles in the valley alone, it is impossible for the traffic police to monitor all the vehicles plying every nook and cranny in an “unscientifically-planned city.” From a traffic management perspective, the city has far too many interconnected roads and lanes, some of which cannot let more than one vehicle pass at a time.
Pedestrians are adding to the traffic jams. Jaywalking halts the smooth flow of traffic, creating bottle-necks at major junctions. Despite the availability of zebra crosses and overhead bridges, people are found crossing the roads whenever and wherever they want. “We admit that there is a paucity of zebra crossings at some places. Some streets even do not have a footpath,” says Poudel. “But we request the pedestrians to find the safest zone to cross the road in these cases. And please cross in groups so that you do not break traffic flow.”
What are they doing?
The traffic police says it is wrong to assume that they are solely responsible for dealing with traffic congestions. “The traffic police is only a managing body. Their only responsibility is to monitor the users in the streets and check whether they are complying with the rules. We have to work within government rules and infrastructures. This is all we can do,” Poudel says.
The MTPD has been conducting public awareness classes for both pedestrians and motorists who violate traffic rules, but results have thus far been unsatisfactory. To instill awareness on road safety from an early age, the traffic police have suggested the Education Ministry to integrate road safety into school-level curriculum. The ministry has approved the idea and a course on traffic rules is on its final phase of preparation.
Quick questions with SARUK TAMRAKAR
Q. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?
A. Japan
Q. If not an actor, what?
A. Filmmaker
Q. A movie character you portrayed that you will cherish for life?
A. Major Aakash (Intu Mintu LondonMa)
Q. If you were granted three wishes, what would they be?
A. To be more productive during the day time, and be good with time and money management
Q. If you could choose between acting and modeling, what would your pick?
A. Acting, as it is a part of a much bigger process.
Q. Who do you look up to as an actor and a model?
A. Jared Leto
Q. A habit of yours which you know needs to be changed but you can’t?
A. Sometimes I end up taking long naps during the day.
Q. A peculiar talent?
A. I can wiggle my ears, haha.
Q. Any new project coming up?
A. I’m in the research phase for my independent project.
Q. What is your mantra for success?
A. Consistency, passion and setting new limits.
Into The Chocolate Room
A couple of weeks ago I was driving along what is often referred to as “Restaurant Road” in Jhamsikhel when my attention was drawn to a sign saying The Chocolate Room. This Aladdin’s cave of all things chocolate opened on June 27, so has yet to make its mark on Kathmandu’s foodie list. But it should. Chocoholics, let’s do this!
First impression is of a modern fresh looking restaurant with three different seating areas. One of the areas is a separate room with glass walls. Perfect for private children’s parties. Giving the partygoers their own space and keeping them away from other customers who want a more peaceful experience.
One wall of the main restaurant is taken up with a display of gifts for sale. Champagne bottles made of chocolate, beautiful crafted boxes to be filled with chocolates, chocolate inspired ceramic mugs, and more. Another wall has chocolate dripping down it (unfortunately not literally). The display case at the counter has an array of mouth-watering goodies from individual chocolates, to molded chocolates and cakes in all shapes and forms.
Being overwhelmed by all this chocolate glitter I hoped the menu lived up to the decor. It did. The menu is presented as two volumes—one with savory items and one with sweet. Starting with the savory, there are crêpes, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, burgers, wraps and salads (why go to a chocolate cave and eat salad?). Some unique items caught my eye, Savory Waffwich being one of them. Thankfully (read huge portions) as it turned out, I had persuaded a friend who really wanted a chocolate inspired lunch on a wet Wednesday.
So we ordered the Philly Cream Cheese and Chilli Waffwich (Rs 385); basically a stuffed waffle. Coming with two different sauces, and cut into four big slices, it was delicious! The Signature Brunch Sandwich (Rs 685) is brunch (eggs, hash browns) in a bun. With fries. We would have preferred something other than the burger bun but otherwise it was very tasty. The menu states all items take 25 minutes to create. Yes, we did have to wait 25 minutes…
Being a franchise from Australia, by the way of India, the recreation of the menu items was pretty much spot on (although I’m not sure original Philadelphia cheese is used in the Waffwich). I asked the owner, Saurav Basnet, why he decided to open this type of restaurant. “I’ve always been interested in the entertainment and recreation business and wanted to get into the food side,” explains Basnet. He went on to say that while travelling overseas he saw many chocolate themed restaurants but had yet to see one in Nepal. So when the opportunity to take up a franchise came, he grabbed it.
“Originally The Chocolate Room was Australian but when two India business partners returned home from Australia they bought the company and set it up in India. Today there are Chocolate Rooms in 11 countries,” Basnet briefs. With the knowledge that a lot of the ground work has been done by the franchise HQ folks, Basnet hopes The Chocolate Room will be a learning experience in his budding food-based hospitality career…
With rising anticipation we turn to the sweet menu—sundaes, fondues, cakes, shakes, and choctails galore. We chose, for research purposes of course, the Choco Surprise Bomb. You’ve seen it on Masterchef, now see it live! Our huge chocolate ball had hot chocolate sauce expertly poured over it to split and reveal cake and ice cream inside! All for Rs 495. Our next spectacular creation was the TCR Special Mini Midas Sundae (Rs 425), complete with one of those shooting sparkling candles. The Midas part is in the gold edible cake decoration balls around the top of the glass and the ‘gold’ colored fruit inside. By now the neighboring table was staring at us with wide eyes. They and us will be back!
For further information see The Chocolate Room Nepal on Facebook.
Painting 70 years of of Nepal-France ties
To mark 70 years of Nepal-France diplomatic relations, Alliance Française Kathmandu this week kicked off the France-Nepal Painting Exhibition inside its Jawalakhel premises. With the goal of bringing together contemporary Nepali and French artists, the exhibition displays works of Kiran Manandhar, Sagar Manandhar, B.K Nar Bahadur and Vincent Greby.
What’s most amusing about the exhibition is the variations in techniques between the four painters. B.K Nar Bahadur’s series entitled “Landscape” consists of fine acrylic paintings in cotton canvasses with great many colors. The abstract paintings show close Nepal-France relations, and includes the renowned French jewel, the Eiffel Tower. Kiran Manandhar’s “Love and Emotions” highlight the eyes and the lips, the most expressive parts of the whole human body. The thin, detailed lining of the lips is particularly noteworthy.
Sagar Manandhar’s “Khet Ka Katha Haru” celebrates nature with a contrast color pop in every painting. Besides these three Nepali painters, the only French artist in the exhibition, Vincent Greby, has his “Encounter” series, with its neat and organized lines. The delicate flowers in subtle hues seem to capture every imaginable human sentiment.
Indeed, the exhibition, which ends July 31, is a visual treat for all art lovers.
