Traffic Police to Remove Physical Presence in Kathmandu Areas

Kathmandu. Preparations have begun to remove the physical presence of traffic police in the areas from Thapathali Chowk and New Baneshwor to Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu. Allegations have been made that traffic police are 'ambushing' to issue tickets for lane crossing at Thapathali. On April 2, Speaker DP Aryal's vehicle was ticketed by the police at Thapathali Chowk. Following that incident, traffic cones have been placed on the road from Kupandol towards Maitighar to demarcate lanes. Now, work has started to manage traffic through technology by removing the presence of traffic on the road from Thapathali and Baneshwor to Maitighar.

SP Naresh Subedi of the Valley Traffic Police Office told Ratopati that work is underway to prepare a study report for faceless traffic management. He said, 'We have started work on faceless traffic management in coordination with the Department of Roads.'

The study conclusion of the traffic police is that automatic traffic lights with sensors on all four sides of Thapathali Chowk and ANPR cameras need to be installed to manage traffic by reducing physical presence. SP Subedi said that ANPR cameras capable of detecting number plate and lane discipline violations should be installed at both intersections. The on-site study conclusion of the traffic is that the existing CCTV cameras also need to be increased. The faceless traffic management system is being implemented with the Department of Roads investing in the installation of technical equipment.

The ANPR camera automatically identifies the number plate of vehicles violating the rules and sends the record to the control room. SP Subedi said that after the camera sends a signal, vehicles that escape from both intersections will be stopped elsewhere and action will be taken. The camera detects vehicles violating speed and lane discipline and sends a signal about them to the control room.

Traffic police officials say that action can be taken electronically based on that signal. An official from the Valley Traffic Police Office said, 'Based on the number of vehicles violating the rules sent by the camera, action can be taken in coordination with the Department of Transport Management and records can be kept electronically.'

In line with the policy of gradually reducing traffic police on the roads, a minimal number of traffic personnel are now being deployed in Thapathali. The 55 traffic personnel working at the Thapathali Traffic Police Station manage traffic from Tripureshwor to Thapathali and up to Thapathali Engineering Campus. However, SP Subedi said that the physical presence of traffic police at Thapathali Chowk has been reduced in the last few days.

Currently, traffic police in Kathmandu Valley monitor traffic rule violations through 293 cameras. Based on camera surveillance, the Valley Traffic Police Office takes disciplinary action against 150 vehicles daily.

ANPR cameras are currently installed at Koteshwor, Dhobighat, and Mahalaxmi Sthan in Lalitpur. The 6 ANPR cameras installed there measure speed. The Valley Traffic Police Office has concluded that lane-detecting cameras need to be installed in Thapathali and Baneshwor to implement the faceless traffic management system.