Anti drink-driving campaign pays dividends

KATHMANDU, Jan 19: The ´mapase´ campaign against drink-driving, now running for almost 13 months, has remarkably minimized road accidents and fatalities in Kathmandu Valley.

The campaign has not only averted a huge loss of life and property but also contributed to revenue through penalties.[break]

In order to manage traffic congestion and improve the way traffic police behave towards the public, Metropolitan Traffic Police had come up with a list of 16 priorities three months earlier.

And a stricter campaign against drink-driving was top priority.

The decision on punching the licenses of motorists found driving while under the influence of alcoholic drink and keeping records under the Traffic Clearance Report has discouraged drink-driving, according to DSP Pawan Giri, spokesperson at Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD).

Traffic Police Inspector Sitaram Hathechhu use newly breathlyzer to check the alcohol level. (Photo: Republica)

He said that drink-driving is taken as a serious traffic rules violation and can result in long-term disadvantage for the rule violators.

He informed that between December 7, 2012 and January 13, 2013, MTPD punched over 4,366 driving licenses, including those of public and private vehicles.

Each violation results in one hole in the license and after the fifth hole the authorities will suspend the license.

According to DIG Giri, MTPD has punched 118 licenses a second time and five licenses so far have had three holes punched.

MTPD launched mapase from December 3 and it has already charged 71,820 people under the campaign, including 338 women.

According to MTPD, it has collected about Rs 63.3 million in fines as of mid-January.

MTPD has also charged 25 people drink-driving while exiting the Valley, under the Public Offences Act.

Wayward taxis

MTPD is likewise addressing complaints about taxi drivers charging extra and refusing to drop passengers where they want to be dropped.

MTPD has begun joint monitoring since Jan 13, in coordination the Department of Standards and Metrology and Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

It has charged over 200 taxis for meter tampering, driving without meters or using wrong kinds of meters,and refusing to take passengers to remoter destinations.

About 80 taxis has been sent to the Department of Standards and Metrology at Balaju for further action.

Meanwhile, the income of taxi drivers has been increasing due to mapase. “Of late, restaurants and bars have begun a taxi hiring system for dropping home customers that stay till late at night,” he said.

According to DSP Giri, plain clothes traffic police deployed since December 11 have been remarkably effective, charging over 7,835 vehicles for violating traffic rules concerning lane discipline, talking on mobile phones while driving, not using seat belts, unnecessary pick and drop, vehicle modification, overload, open doors, over-speeding, and ignoring traffic lights and signals.

From Wednesday onwards traffic police have also deployed 100 Swift Operation police personnel focused mainly on the management of pavements, according to Giri.

Traffic Manpower must be replaced by technology

Upendra Kanta Aryal

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP)

Metropolitan Traffic Police, Kathmandu

It is already three months since you took over as the head of traffic police. People had great expecations from you regarding the easing of traffic congestion, but the problem still remains.

We have been managing traffic in the Valley despite several deficiencies, including understaffing, lack of road furniture and lack of traffic technology. We are barely managing the traffic situation in Kathmandu. Merely blowing the whistle cannot take care of everything that goes on in road traffic, so until and unless the manpower is replaced by technology it is unjustified to expect much more. Under the present circumstances, the job of the traffic policeman has already become obsolete.

What do you think are the major hurdles to traffic management in the Valley?

As I mentioned already, if we are better equipped the major problems will be solved. At the same time the rapidly increasing number of vehicles, the size of roads, road user mentality and, most importantly, lack of long-term vision at policy making level are some of the other big problems. If this situation continues, the traffic situation in the near future will go beyond our control, and this will have an adverse affect on the lives of people.

Don´t you have specific strategies for managing things from now onwards?

Yes, obviously we are very serious about the current situation and the upcoming problems also. But it is not our sole responsibility as there are several other stakeholders, such as the Department of Transport Management, the municipalities, the Department of Roads and even departments under the science and technology ministry, that need to work hand in hand. We are just an enforcement agency. There must be serious debate and concern at the policy-making level to end the ongoing problems. There must be policy intervention.

The ban on driving under the influence of alcoholic drink (mapase campaign) is a huge success. So why don´t you begin a similar campaign to check the overcrowding of public transport vehicles in Kathmandu?

Overcrowding is obviously a problem in the Valley because we have no policy for replacing the traditional transport system despite the growing urbanization. Rescheduling working hours, deploying a mass transport systeman and improving client behavior will definitely help reduce the overcrowding. And yes the tendency to drink-drive has decreased remarkably as we have stepped up late night spot checks and surprise checking during the day also. At the same time, we are planning to provide mass training to public transport drivers and their help from next month.

Both the opposition and ruling parties have announced street protests. What are your plans to maintain smooth traffic flow during such protests?

To protest is one´s right but while exercising one´s right one must not forget about others´ right to freedom of movement. So I appeal to the political parties and their youth wings not to misuse the roads and to help with the smooth flow of traffic. The roads not for multiple purposes. They are just for the movement of people.