The report ‘Piloting Sustainable Urban Transport Index (SUTI) in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal‘ by Bhagawat Bhakta Khokhali evaluates Kathmandu’s urban transport system using ten UN-ESCAP SUTI indicators. It provides a comprehensive picture of the Valley’s transport challenges—including poor public transport quality, rising motorization, and air pollution—while highlighting areas where improvements are needed to create a more sustainable and accessible urban mobility system.
Key Points
- Background & Context: Kathmandu Valley is Nepal’s main economic hub but faces rapid population growth, unplanned urban sprawl, and heavy reliance on road transport. With over one million registered vehicles (2016/17), motorcycles dominate at nearly 80% of the fleet, while public transport remains weak and fragmented.
- SUTI Indicators Used: Ten metrics were assessed: transport planning, modal share, access to services, quality and reliability, traffic fatalities, affordability, operational costs, investment, air quality, and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Findings:
- Positive Aspects: 85% of residents live within 500m of a bus stop; walking remains a major mode (40% of trips), giving Kathmandu a relatively high share of active and public transport; traffic fatality rates are comparatively moderate.
- Critical Weaknesses: Public transport quality and reliability are very low, with only one-third of users satisfied; investment in public transport is minimal and focused mainly on road widening; cycling infrastructure is almost non-existent; and overall emissions and PM pollution remain dangerously high.
- Affordability & Finance: While fares are generally affordable relative to income, the system is largely privatized (99%), limiting coordinated planning.
- Overall SUTI Score: Kathmandu scored 58.39 (arithmetic mean) and 47.8 (geometric mean), which is considered below average. Only two indicators performed well, with most showing weaknesses in governance, infrastructure, and environmental performance.
- Policy Implications: The report stresses the urgent need to:
- Invest in sustainable public transport (high-capacity buses, integrated networks).
- Prioritize walking and cycling in city planning.
- Improve regulation and quality of services.
- Strengthen institutional coordination to manage mobility across the Valley.