The Kathmandu Metropolis has banned roadside parking in Durbarmarg.

On Tuesday, the City Police, in collaboration with Traffic Police and Nepal Police, announced that roadside parking was prohibited in the area.

“We have removed parking on both sides of the Durbarmarg stretch from Tuesday onwards,” said Superintendent of City Police Rajendra Devkota. “The decision has been taken after traffic jams in Durbarmarg became an increasingly severe problem.”

The abrupt prohibition has posed a major problem for businesses and customers alike. The metropolis does not have information about the availability and capacity of parking spaces in the area.

Annapurna Hotel, Yak and Yeti, Sherpa Mall, and Star Mall are the only places that may have available parking space, says Devkota, of which he is unsure.

Although the basement areas were vacated after the City authorities’ issued a 35-day notice and called for legal action, they are yet to be turned into functional parking spaces.

“There is a parking space with a capacity of 20 cars and 150 two-wheelers in the vacated space where London Pub used to operate,” said Devkota. “Around 10 percent of work in the vacated space has been completed. It will be available for use in a few days.”

The authorities had also vacated three other spots. However, those spaces have been left empty as the owners have filed a case against the metropolis’ decision.

According to the city police, the vacated spaces have enough room to accommodate hundreds of vehicles.

Earlier, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City office had also prohibited parking in Baneshwore and Bagbazar areas.