KATHMANDU: Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Devendra Dahal, has stressed the urgent need to make traffic management in the Kathmandu Valley more effective and user-friendly, given the Valley’s importance as the federal capital and a hub of cultural diversity.
Speaking at a stakeholder meeting on the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Kathmandu Valley Urban Transport System Master Plan Project held in Lalitpur on Saturday, Minister Dahal expressed concern over the disorganized state of the Valley’s transport system despite its central role in Nepal’s economic, cultural, and administrative landscape.
Dahal noted that although a transport management master plan was introduced in 2012 and later updated in 2017, there has been little visible progress. Instead, the situation has deteriorated, with rising vehicle numbers, haphazard urban development, and a lack of infrastructure contributing to severe traffic congestion, delays, and worsening air pollution. These issues, he said, are not only disrupting mobility but also harming economic productivity and public health.
“There should be no delay in managing the Valley’s transportation system effectively,” he warned. “If we fail to take decisive action now, the situation will continue to worsen, threatening the Valley’s environment and long-term sustainability. This project could be our last chance to implement both short- and long-term solutions.”
Also speaking at the event, Minister for Forests and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi pledged the ministry’s full cooperation and coordination in improving traffic management in the Valley.
Keshav Kumar Sharma, Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, emphasized the need for multilateral coordination to develop a sustainable, safe, and inclusive transport system.
During the meeting, experts from relevant agencies presented concept papers outlining strategies to improve the effectiveness and user-friendliness of the Kathmandu Valley’s transport network.
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