The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) has booked 13,387 jaywalkers over the past five days, collecting Rs2.6 million in fines since the new traffic rule—prohibiting pedestrians from crossing busy streets and roads except at designated points—came into force on Tuesday.
The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) has booked 13,387 jaywalkers over the past five days, collecting Rs2.6 million in fines since the new traffic rule—prohibiting pedestrians from crossing busy streets and roads except at designated points—came into force on Tuesday.
According to traffic police, 13,000 people were charged Rs200 in fines and the rest “released” after spending three hours in detention, including half an hour attending a road safety class.
Traffic police booked 3,348 people on Tuesday, the day when the new rule came into being, followed by 3,592—the highest so far—on Wednesday.
“By Saturday, people have become more aware of jaywalking,” said MTPD chief Deputy Inspector General Mingmar Lama. “Our aim is to bring it to zero.”
The new rule against jaywalking introduced by traffic police has been met with a decidedly mixed reaction: some welcomed it while others criticised for introducing the strict new rule without making proper infrastructure before enforcing it.
Kathmandu has around 107 crosswalks for pedestrians, of which 50 percent needs repainting.
The Department of Roads, which is responsible for maintaining roads including paintings of zebra crossings, speeding up its zebra repainting. “We are very aware about the fading zebra crossings. We have intensified our work and repainting of all the faded zebra crossings in Kathmandu will be completed by this week,” said Dip Barai, traffic engineer at the DoR.
The repainting at Tripureshwor, Thapathali, Koteshwor and a few other places has already been completed, he added.
The MTPD has deployed 148 traffic officials and 370 temporary police for check on jaywalking, while mobilising more than 1,500 traffic police for public awareness. The division has also coordinated with 1,275 schools and colleges in the Valley for disseminating messages on road safety.
“We have booked rule violators only in areas where there are zebra crossings and sky bridges,” Lama clarified.
Anup Ojha is a reporter for The Kathmandu Post primarily covering social issues, crime, and human interest stories since 2011. Before moving to the social beat, Ojha covered arts and culture for the Post for four years.
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