KATHMANDU, July 11: In view of the mounting traffic congestion during the rush hours in the Kathmandu Valley, the government has planned to ban tippers, trucks and mini trucks along the ring road from 9:00am to 11:00pm and from 4:00pm to 7:00pm from Wednesday.

The joint meeting of the Department of Transport Management, Metropolitan Police Division, Truck and Tipper Entrepreneurs' Federation, and National Federation of Transport Entrepreneurs took this decision on Tuesday.

The trucks and tippers coming to the capital city from Sindhupalchwok, Kavrepalanchowk, Dolakha, Ramechhap, and Sindhuli districts would not be allowed entry at the office hours, said Metropolitan Police Division Chief, Migmar Lama, adding that such decision was taken to curb the traffic congestion at Koteshwor area.

After the Muglin-Narayangadh road, major doorway to capital city, remained inoperative during night, the traffic congestion was growing at Koteshwor area. With this new arrangement in place, the area would see less traffic.

When the Muglin-Narayangadh road was operative round the clock, the BP Highway used to have 1,500 vehicles on a daily basis which rose up to 6,500 making the traffic management very difficult after the closing of the Chitwan section.

Spokesperson of the Department of Transport Management, Dr Tokraj Pande, informed that the trucks and tippers would not be allowed entering the capital city during the rush hours.

Similarly, Chairman of Truck and Tipper Entrepreneurs' Federation, Rajendra Kumar Shrestha, said, "We're ready to stop operating vehicles on the rush hours if it is good for traffic management."

The Federation said as the Kathmandu Valley lacked parking lots, traffic jam was chaotic. RSS