An average person in Kathmandu spends around 20–30 minutes of delay per trip on several major routes, meaning nearly 1–2 hours are wasted every single day just sitting in traffic. And this isn’t limited to the main roads; residents in inner settlements and feeder roads often spend even longer just trying to exit their neighborhoods. It’s genuinely frustrating, and for many, this daily delay has become an unavoidable part of life.
Why is this happening?
The simple answer might seem to be population growth and the rise in the number of vehicles. However, the root causes are far more complex and concerning. In a city like Kathmandu, the capital, the administrative hub, and supposedly the most progressive urban centre in Nepal, people continue to suffer long, unnecessary delays and accidents. The city’s poor traffic situation is primarily driven by inadequate infrastructure planning and a lack of proper road engineering. What we experience on roads is the paragon of systematic neglect in traffic management.
What is traffic management?
When we talk about traffic management, people often assume it only refers to traffic police, vehicle regulation, or the licence process. However, effective traffic management is more than just enforcement; it is essentially about planning and designing roads that facilitate a smooth, uninterrupted flow of movement. This includes proper road engineering, functioning traffic signals, well-designed intersections, drainage systems that prevent waterlogging, and clearly marked lanes. Equally important is the behaviour of road users themselves, drivers and pedestrians, whose discipline directly influences how efficiently traffic moves. Without responsible road users, even the best-designed systems cannot function properly.
Current Challenges and Issues
Why is there a continuation of poor traffic management? Although Nepal has made progress in expanding its road network, the quality of road engineering remains a major weakness. For example, since its establishment, the Department of Roads (DoR) has constructed 36,132 kilometers of roads as of Falgun 2081 BS, including 19,163 km of black-topped roads, 8,204 km gravel roads, and 8,765 km earthen roads. However, building roads is not the same as building well-designed roads.
The build of the road itself lacks consideration for population density and vehicle capacity. The estimated length of road expansion in the Kathmandu Valley is around 13,232 kilometers, while the number of registered vehicles has reached approximately 1.75 million. Naturally, roads designed decades ago cannot support the traffic load of a rapidly growing urban population. The number of vehicles has vastly outgrown the available road space, creating severe congestion and persistent management challenges.
The investment in upgrading existing infrastructure is equally concerning. Out of 13,232 km of roads, only 4,073 km were blacktopped, and yet there is still not a single flyover or new underpass. Unplanned development has made it almost impossible to widen roads or redesign junctions. The absence of functioning traffic lights adds another layer of chaos even the functioning ones cannot compensate for the poorly designed intersections. For instance, the 800-meter underpass in Kalanki shows what effective engineering can achieve. The underpass has noticeably eased congestion in the Kalanki area. This makes it even clearer that Kathmandu’s traffic problem does not originate from a lack of roads, but from the absence of well-designed ones.
Poor infrastructure continues to undermine development efforts in Nepal. In 2019, 82% of access roads were classified as being in bad condition, and within the Kathmandu Valley, more than half of minor access roads showed severe surface damages. Even the newly blacktopped roads fail engineering standards.
These structural flaws in road design and construction directly encourage unsafe driving behaviour. Misaligned intersections, uneven gradients, and poorly marked lanes create conditions where over-speeding, sudden stops, and lane-indiscipline become common. As a result, minor crashes frequently block major intersections for hours due to delayed traffic response, and according to traffic police data, 20–30 road accidents occur in Kathmandu Valley every day.
These issues directly contribute to Kathmandu’s chronic traffic delays. The same systemic neglect disrupts urban mobility. Intersections like those in Koteshwor-Kalanki, Thapathali intersection, and even small ones like Greenland-Tokha are not designed at perpendicular angles, forcing multiple traffic police officers to manually manage a single junction. With the number of vehicles steadily rising, it can take over 10 minutes just to exit certain neighborhoods during peak hours.
Lastly, a large share of Kathmandu’s traffic problems also originates from road-user behaviour itself. Even with functional infrastructure, many people tend to disregard traffic rules the moment they do not see an officer in a blue uniform. Road discipline is extremely weak, and sensible drivers are becoming a rare sight. Much of the delay experienced daily could be avoided with simple courtesy, like allowing another vehicle to pass instead of blocking the way and creating a jam for everyone.
The Hidden Cost
Daily congestion silently steals thousands of hours from people’s lives. It drains energy, reduces productivity, impacts mental well-being, and lowers the overall quality of life for Kathmandu’s residents.