No wonder, you’d frequently quote, “I’d rather be in a hell for the time” whenever, you drive by the main roads of the city from 9-11 in the morning and 5-8 in the evening. Actually, it’s the acute time when you realize that the city has become a chronic victim of over-traffic and the Government should really do something about it as an emergency.
Reactively, Government of Nepal (GON) does have recently practiced a basic economic principle by increasing the custom-duty on vehicle imports in order to discourage vehicle purchasing rate in the country. Though, the vehicle purchasing rate has certainly decreased by the disclosed statistics, its left to be seen, how soon the final effect comes into action. Since, operational life time of vehicle utilities is extremely long in the country, (for inst. More than 25% of the vehicles in operation are more than 15 years of age), the effect can’t be seen any sooner, not before the end of a decade.
Besides, the Auto dealer association in Kathmandu has been convicting this bill of the government as nothing more than an austerity that has no link to the resolution of overly centralized traffic rather than over traffic all over the nation. It expresses that raising the tax rate that is already high, make no reasonable solution. Unfortunately, tariff barriers are only what the government could readily impose as a short term measure to this firing problem. However, non-tariff barriers could have been an effective solution, only if it wouldn’t be a violation of international trade law. Therefore, there remains limited solution that the government can impose. Whatsoever, I do believe that vehicle tax hikes may not be the perfect measure for the problem of overly centralized traffic but it doesn’t mean that it won’t have any effect at all. Enhancing Transport infrastructure and decentralizing development could be a fruitful option (Of course it is!!) but it is a way-way a long-term solution for anyone but a unstable government of now.
Certainly, it’s been a hard fact that, traffic pressure is high during the peak hours of 5-8 P.M and little less during the day hours. But just think about the late hours, Isn’t there anything but a pin drop silence in the Chabil Chowk, with speeding vehicle in only at randomly five minutes of interval from 11:00 P.M. to 4:00 A.M.? Well, I may be exaggerating in saying so, but I am sure that I make sense when I say that, the vehicle traffic activity is somewhat centralized during the few hours of the day, called the peak hours. Now, my question is how it would be for the government to try to displace the high traffic pressure of the day hours to such late hours?
Well, I agree that I may sound hypothetical in literal, because it is practically impossible for public transports and private vehicles to run on off-hours. But, certainly there remains a high possibility for the transport jobs that has the privilege of running in any hour. Well in that case I would be talking about the construction and material tipping trucks, pick-ups and mini-vans that can transport loads even during the off-hours like from 11P.M. to 5A.M. or something.
With so much mini-trucks and pick-ups hovering in the main roads, I believe such bills could at least chop off 20-25% of the traffic pressure in the Kathmandu City. And most of us do believe that it’s a considerable number. Unfortunately, this kind of bills cannot be implemented overnight as per weighing its high stakes. So, there shall certainly appear a lot of resistance by the influents and others (as security being a major concern). After all, it’s a kind of a change, and probably a radical one. But frankly, it depends upon how the government does it. Whether it bases the bill on the principle of carrot or stick or both? As it’s often taught in business schools that, an effective leadership can efficiently implement changes, it applies here as well. Politically speaking, through the current government of Dr. Babu Ram Bhatterai, with high civil support, things look quite hopeful for now.
All in all, it’s just a thought that rung into mind while it took me more than a half an hour to get from Chabil to Baudha, this evening due to the hectic routing traffic jam. And, it’s a just something that I wanted to put on a blank document before dinner. As they say, ideas and thoughts are the consequences by product of influencing incident.
Analytical Perspective on Economics 