Traffic Police Proposes Fines of Up to Rs 50,000 to Reduce Rules Violations

The Valley Traffic Police Office has proposed a significant increase in traffic fines as part of efforts to curb growing violations on Nepal's roads. The proposal was put forward by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Suresh Prasad Kafle during a discussion on public transport and freight management held before the Infrastructure Development Committee under the Federal Parliament.

SSP Kafle said the existing fine structure, which ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000, has proven ineffective in discouraging traffic violations. He recommended that the law be revised to allow fines between Rs 5,000 and Rs 50,000, depending on the nature and severity of the offence.

Kafle also highlighted the scale of the challenge facing traffic authorities. Approximately 6.5 million vehicles are registered across Nepal, with nearly two million of them operating in the Kathmandu Valley alone on any given day. Despite this volume, only around 2,500 to 2,600 traffic police personnel are deployed nationwide to manage the flow.

To modernise traffic management, he suggested replacing the current manual system with an AI-based integrated traffic light system. He estimated that implementing such technology would require an investment of roughly Rs 15 billion to Rs 20 billion.

Kafle also drew attention to the issue of cross border vehicles, noting that between 2,000 and 3,500 Indian vehicles enter Nepal daily. He said the absence of effective monitoring of their load carrying capacity is causing premature damage to road infrastructure, and called for a stronger system to oversee vehicles entering from across the border.