Valley
Dhobikhola Corridor turns into illegal car park
The Dhobikola Corridor along the Bijulibazar Bridge-Setopul has turned into an illegal parking zone with hundreds of vehicles that hinder smooth vehicular movement every day and cause traffic jam.The Dhobikola Corridor along the Bijulibazar Bridge-Setopul has turned into an illegal parking zone with hundreds of vehicles that hinder smooth vehicular movement every day and cause traffic jam.
The Dhobikhola Corridor Improvement Project, under the aegis of Kathmandu Valley City Development Committee, had recently upgraded and beautified the corridor with greenery along the river. It looked aesthetic and there were expectations it would reduce traffic congestion in the area.
However, private companies and residents from the locality use the corridor as public parking with impunity. This civic indiscipline defies the good work of the Dhobikhola Project.
Everyday people haphazardly park hundreds of vehicles that include pick-up vans, private four-wheelers and two-wheelers along the riverfront. The concerned authorities have not taken any punitive action to stop this menace of illegal parking. Roads in front of the Prabhu Bank, Sagarmatha Television, Madan Bhandari Memorial College along the Rudramati Marga are mostly occupied either by vehicles belonging to employees of these organisations or their visitors’ cars.
When law-abiding citizens questioned vehicle owners on their habit of illegal parking, most gave the standard reply that “everyone parks vehicles here and no one has ever complained”.
Many owners park their vehicles there because they do not have to pay parking fees. Pick-up vans occupy the corridor near Setopul 24 hours causing major traffic jams.
Illegal parking in the corridor prevails since a long time, but the authorities have taken no steps to stop it so far.
Metropolitan Traffic Police Division Spokesperson Umesh Ranjitkar said, “People park their vehicles there because there are no sign boards of ‘No Parking’. We cannot take action because there is no sign for No Parking! We shall deploy traffic officers in the corridor until the Metropolis does something.”
Due to the illegal parking and incomplete state of the corridor is a display of colourful metal boxes instead of the salubrious greenery.
City Police Chief Bishwa Prakash Joshi said we have not received complaints, however we regularly check the place and now onwards we shall monitor the place more effectively.
Many owners park their cars with utter disregard to other people by blocking their cars. Many blocked car owners either grumble and wait or search for the irresponsible car owner.
The practice of illegal parking is not limited to Dhobikola Corridor; it prevails all over the city. The problem is that the government as well as private companies have not provided dedicated parking areas.
Metropolitan Traffic Police Division data shows there are only 99 parking areas that too with limited space.
With no prospects of a solution, the menace of illegal parking and traffic jams will continue for long.