Policy and Standard vs. Practice: A Case Study of Urban Roads in Kathmandu Valley
Date:
Presented by Apil KC and Dr. Keshab Sharma
Haphazard urban growth of Kathmandu Valley under capricious policies and practices has led to many vulnerabilities and exclusiveness in the urban environment. Roads and streets are designed and constructed without any consideration of urban mobility characteristics. Formulation and implementation of transport policy and urban road standards are prerequisites for planned development.
The Government of Nepal follows parallel sets of road standards from the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (Planning Norms and Standards, 2013 and Bye-laws) and the Department of Roads (Nepal Road Standard 2070). In addition, various concept and working papers are published in the context of urban roads. Kathmandu Valley is also equipped with high-budgeted projects such as the Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project (KSUTP) funded by ADB.
This talk reviewed existing transport policies and road standards in Nepal and compared them with on-the-ground conditions in Kathmandu Valley. It raised concern about the lack of adherence to road standards and policies, and explored fundamental components of urban roads in light of international experiences.