Kathmandu. Even if the vehicle is stopped on the public road for a few minutes, the general public has to pay a traffic fine. However, questions have been raised about the poor enforcement of traffic rules in Singha Durbar, the main administrative center of the country.

However, the traffic police, which collects millions of rupees in fine from the general public for violating traffic rules, has not effectively monitored the haphazard parking in Singha Durbar. It has become a common sight for vehicles to be parked on both sides of the road in the Singha Durbar premises covering half of the road and covering the footpath.

As a result, service recipients, employees and visitors who reach Singha Durbar for special work are compelled to walk on the road without using the footpath. The risk of road accidents has also increased as footpaths constructed for safe movement of pedestrians have been converted into parking lots.

In some places, there are boards with ‘No Parking’ written on them, but vehicles are found parked in the same place. This has raised questions about the management within the government offices and the bodies that enforce the rules.

People with disabilities and disabilities are the worst affected by unmanaged parking. Wheelchair users are compelled to use wheelchairs on the road as they cannot use the pavement. Their commute has become more difficult and risky as the roadside has also been covered with vehicles. This raises questions about the government’s commitment to building disability-friendly public infrastructure and ensuring equitable access.

Singha Durbar is not only the administrative centre of the country but also a model of good governance, rule of law and public discipline. However, due to the blatant violation of traffic rules in the same area, the rules applicable to the general public have not been implemented uniformly within the government bodies.

For traffic management and parking regulation, the concerned body should implement clear standards to keep the footpath completely open for pedestrians, to make arrangements for parking only in designated places and to take equal action against anyone violating the rules.

Although the government has been prioritizing road safety, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and disabled-friendly access, the haphazard parking in Singha Durbar indicates that the practice needs to be improved. The concerned authorities need to take immediate and effective steps to create an environment where the rules are equally applicable to all. Look at the rest of the image: