Traffic congestion at Neta Chowk—the main road that links Rajbiraj to the East-West Highway—in Rajbiraj Municipality has affected the daily lives of locals.

Since the town area does not have a bus park, public vehicles stay put on the road to pick up passengers, causing a long traffic snarl, said Lalan Kumar Jha, a local.

“The traffic jam in this area poses problems for not only vehicles but pedestrians too,” said Jha.

The problem has been further exacerbated by the ongoing construction of roadside drainage in the southern part of Neta Chowk along the Postal Highway.

“Construction materials are piled up on the road, worsening the traffic congestion,” said Jha.

Uttam Karki, a police inspector at the District Traffic Office in Rajbiraj, said the situation has worsened since passenger vehicles started using Neta Chowk as their pick-up and drop-off points.

“In the past few days, traffic jams have become chronic in this area,” said Karki, adding that he has deployed traffic personnel to manage the traffic flow.

According to the data provided by the District Traffic Office, at least 300 vehicles pass through Neta Chowk every day from 8 am to 6 pm.

Nanda Kumar Mandal, one of the policemen deployed in the road, said the congestion has increased the risk of accidents.

“We are trying to manage the traffic, but it’s difficult. Everyone should understand the situation and follow traffic rules to minimise the risk of road accidents,” said Mandal.

Krishna Prasai, superintendent of police in Rajbiraj, said his department is looking for ways to solve the problem.

Since traffic congestion is a perennial problem faced by the locals, they demand the municipality to construct a proper parking area for public vehicles.

“A bus park is under construction near Rajdevi Temple in Rajbiraj Municipality Ward No. 2,” said Shambhu Prasad Yadav, mayor of Rajbiraj Municipality. “We hope the construction of the new bus park will be completed soon and will put an end to the traffic problem.”