This paper, ‘Policy Recommendations for a Sustainable Public Road Transport System in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal‘ by Veronika Sherova, examines the urgent need for reform in Kathmandu’s public transport sector. It highlights how unregulated, privately run bus services have led to inaccessibility, congestion, and worsening air pollution. The study draws on government reports, academic research, and World Bank strategies to propose policy solutions that could make the Valley’s transport system more sustainable, inclusive, and reliable.
Key Points
- Transport and Development Link: Nepal’s economic growth goals depend heavily on improved transportation infrastructure. Currently, rapid urbanization, limited road space, and rising private vehicle use have created serious congestion and environmental problems.
- Current Challenges: Public buses and minibuses are mostly operated by private associations without government regulation. This results in service concentration in city centers while rural and peripheral areas remain underserved, forcing reliance on private vehicles.
- Inaccessibility as Core Issue: The lack of regulated schedules, quality standards, and equitable routes makes public transport unreliable, inaccessible, and unattractive for many residents.
- Policy Recommendations: The paper suggests three strategies adapted from the World Bank’s Urban Transport Strategy Review:
- Rural Routes Franchising: Granting exclusive rights to operators to connect rural and peri-urban areas with the city center, ensuring affordability, quality, and inclusiveness.
- Urban Areas Tendering: Competitive bidding among operators to run bus services in high-demand city areas, using higher-capacity vehicles to reduce congestion and pollution.
- Paratransit Integration: Incorporating microbuses and tempos as demand-responsive transport, particularly for underserved routes, while gradually regulating and integrating them into the formal network.
- Expected Benefits: These reforms aim to reduce dependence on private vehicles, cut air pollution, ease traffic congestion, and ensure equitable access to economic opportunities across the Valley.