"In times like now, we are compelled to switch the traffic lights off and handle the traffic movement manually," said DSP Bikash Shrestha, operation in-charge of Metropolitan Traffic Police Division. According to Shrestha, traffic lights become a nuisance if they are not fixed keeping in view the traffic load, which is never predictable.
On Tuesday, the police had to manage the traffic manually for the entire noon. The traffic light system in Kathmandu installed with assistance from the government of Japan is losing its utility as it has not been upgraded and even maintained. Of the 14 intersections that initially had the amenity, five have already lost it over years.
The key to the failure of the system is that load distribution among its units has not been proportionate. The system also fails to operate well in normal times because of lack of co-ordination between the concerned agencies. The Road Department looks after the traffic light system. It awards an annual contract for the maintenance of the system to the private agencies. "We have to call the contractor when lights break down," said a traffic officer.
He also claimed that back-up batteries installed at every intersection to operate light during power-cuts do not work. "In winter, we again have to manage the traffic manually," he said.
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