smart traffic lights in kathmandu

Smart Traffic Lights Installed Inside Kathmandu Valley

Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) in association with the Department of Roads (DoR) and Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) has installed smart traffic lights inside Kathmandu Valley on Tuesday.

The smart traffic lights were installed at two of the busiest roads in Kathmandu valley – New Baneshwor and Maharajgunj in order to manage vehicular congestion in the city.

The officials have announced that the move is currently in trial mode. DoR Spokesperson, Mukti Gautam said the trails would go on for two months. And, if they succeed in managing the road congestion, they would install the same smart traffic lights all over as well.

Gautam said, “We tried to bring the international technology. We tried to reinstall traffic lights with the assistance of Asian Development Bank but it was very expensive, so we selected Nepali bidders.” He further said that around NPR. 700 million is necessary to install smart traffic lights if the team opt for international bidders. “We can install all traffic lights within the valley for only NPR. 70 million with Nepali technology.”

Smart traffic lights installed at New Baneshwor is controlled by a remote control system. And sensors will control the lights at Maharajgunj. Other than that, CCTV cameras will monitor the traffic flow and automatically set the time duration for the smart traffic lights.

Siddhi Ansari, a manufacturer of the smart traffic lights said, “The timing of red and green lights will automatically set with the camera’s sensor based on the flow of traffic in Maharajgunj. In New Baneshwor, the timing can be set up with remote control.”

The DoA installed the smart traffic lights in New Baneshwor at the cost NPR. 1.4 million, whereas, the KMC spent NPR. 2.7 million to install the smart lights at Maharajgunj.

With the newly introduced technology, the traffic police are very optimistic about controlling the increasing traffic flow in the valley.

According to the MTPD chief and Deputy Inspector General, Sarbendra Khanal, once the trials become successful, the traffic lights would be installed at 35 different points inside the valley. Khanal was the one who inaugurated the traffic lights in New Baneshwor and Maharajgunj. He is very positive about the smart lights reducing traffic hassles in the valley.

If the drivers and pedestrians follow the traffic lights, it surely would reduce the number of road accidents as well. It would also reduce the work of traffic officers who have to stand for hours and suffer the increasing pollution in the valley.

What do you think about the newly installed smart traffic lights system? Do you think it would reduce traffic congestion in the valley? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.