1. Jan-Feb 2011

OPINION
Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project
Fifth, this study has shed little light on various ‘non-technical’ factors that are responsible for not
implementing many past proposals having similar recommendations. Some of the ‘non-technical’ factors
such as lack of political willingness, duplication of duties and responsibilities among different agencies and
different acts and culture of ignoring traffic rules and encroachment of streets and footpaths in different
ways are all to be primarily addressed first for smooth implementation of those recommendations.
A threefold urban design strategy of decentralisation of business activities from urban centres,
improvement of transitional spaces between streets (footpaths) and ground floor activities of buildings
on both sides of the streets, and strict enforcement of traffic management, all supported by flexible
design guidelines, incentives and consensus (involving different stakeholders) can reverse the present
situation of traffic chaos in Kathmandu, thereby leading to sustainable urban transport.
Validity needs to be clearly chalked out - SONA
T
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First of all the Society of Nepalese architects is highly indebted to
SPACES for providing a platform for its members to voice their opinion
on the contemporary issues on architecture, urbanism, interior design
and many others, as the situation demands. We have been updating
our members, readers, students and many other enthusiasts through
the last two issues on the development in the architectural front
related to society activities. But this issue has a little more dimension
added to it, whereby we are allowed to add our concern on the issue
of the Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport improvement project
conducted jointly by MOPPW and ADB, which must have been an arduous
effort to plan and project a workable proposition to mitigate the present
urban chaos, as the entire city through the jumble of concrete, brick,
hawkers, and narrow network of roads, bottle necks and many other
pile-ons has become a real mess.
Ar. Debesh Bhattari
(debesh.bhattarai@gmail.com)
General Secretary,
Society of Nepalese Architects
The task is very difficult and maybe it is more like pointing a telescope to
the moon and wondering where it hits. The clutter has already reached a threshold and the solution might
require an investment reaching up to trillions of Rupees. I can imagine limiting the central core of the city
to certain limits as envisaged in the report, but the validity of the boundaries to seek a sustainable urban
transport for years to come in a country in dire straits like ours, has to be clearly chalked out.
The precious investment we make does matter a lot, which is evident with the recent foundation laying of
the overhead bridge in the New Baneswor junction by the PM of Nepal. It sounds like the overhead bridge
meant for pedestrians had more room for shop-keepers than the pedestrians and consequently, the
pivotal issue of security breach with respect to the Assembly Hall (earlier Conference Hall) across the
road and the limitation of the six lane highway arose. We do require a safer passage for pedestrians in the
crossing but the mere placement above or below the ground may limit the very essence of urban road
planning.
The nodal points across the city, segregation of vehicular movement in and around the core area, creating
pedestrian only area in the urban centre, running smaller vehicles for transiting and maintaining air
quality within the city are few of the commendable starters. But limiting the ownership of private modes
of transport can be very difficult unless some serious effort is made to create a reliable transport network.
The very idea of bringing the big sized bus to the core by limiting the smaller mode of transport may fireback
as the present road condition has hardly any room for the same unless it is widened. In addition,
creating a parking facility on the western side of Tundikhel may create one more bottle neck in the already
congested section of the city and shall snatch the only remaining public breathing space of the urban
core, thereby inviting a disastrous response from the civil society.
Finally, a city like Kathmandu, where new boundaries are built every other day by endless acquisition of
the arable land for housing development, can only have reactive planning efforts. The proactive approach
can only happen if the urban road networks are guided by Kathmandu Valley Urban Planning parameters,
where the Society of Nepalese Architects can take a leading role. In fact, a section of the Society’s experts
are already doing a serious homework to understand the present urban mess and the Society is very
eager to get a larger participation to formulate the basic guidelines for the urban framework.
The Kathmandu Valley urbanscape, which did not falter till the mid-fifties of this century, lost its true
glory in a mere three decades. Now there is an even bigger responsibility to all the sections of society
to act judiciously. The present effort to improve the transport system in the core should definitely be a
milestone to understand at least the chaos, if not solve it completely. We have to do a lot of home work in
the years to come.
www.spacesnepal.com 84
January-February 2011