New Road Footpath Issue: Win Citizens’ Trust

The New Road area of Kathmandu has become tense once again as the locals and the business community have come together to oppose the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC)’s move to widen footpaths there. By enlarging the sidewalk, the local government aims to enforce its plan of developing the area into a ‘no vehicle zone.’ This idea is good for commuters because it may be quite convenient for them to have an opportunity to walk along a wider footpath. But the only fear of the locals and the business group is that New Road, which is regarded as a major business hub of Kathmandu, might turn into a deserted street if vehicles are not allowed to enter there. The area possesses a lot of business outlets and shops, including gold and jewelry stores. This is why New Road attracts a large number of customers on a daily basis.  

A series of protests 

However, the locals as well as the traders say that New Road and its adjacent areas have seen a considerable fall in business transactions after the KMC has declared the area as ‘no parking zone’ in January this year. The local landlords say that many shutters have often become vacant as the traders have closed their shops in view of a falling level of turnout of customers. Amidst the persisting economic slump, the KMC’s step has taken its toll on business activities. In the course of implementing the plan of ‘no parking zone’, the KMC was at loggerheads with the locals. Even amidst a series of protests by the locals, the local government did not back off. 

The KMC has made available a parking place for two-wheelers at Dharahara. It has also fixed the Kathmandu Tower under construction at Old Bus Park for parking other vehicles. But customers are unlikely to visit New Road area to buy goods because of distance. Another issue is that they may feel insecure while walking by carrying valuable goods with them.  

Some weeks back, the KMC’s Mayor Balendra Shah had introduced the plan in the municipal assembly to make New Road a ‘no vehicle zone’ without having discussed the matter with the locals. This had agitated the locals. Shah is blamed for not holding any discussion regarding the issue even with the concerned ward chairpersons. They expressed their dissatisfaction over the matter at the meeting as well. The New Road area is located in Ward numbers 22 and 24. 

The locals had resorted to protesting against the footpath expansion bid as soon as the concerned contractor company had started breaking the blacktop of the roads. It had cut about 1.5-metre on both sides of streets in New Road as part of its bid to expand footpaths. The road division office under the Department of Roads made its intervention, stopping the KMC workers from cutting the roads. The road division office said that the road section falls under its jurisdiction. The road office also confiscated materials and forced the local government to patch up the disrupted blacktop.

As the footpath expansion task came to a halt, an unfortunate incident took place.  Mayor Shah instructed his officials to dump dirt and trash loaded in trucks in front of the entrance of the road division office, accusing the federal government bodies for delayed road expansion work from Kalanki to Maharajgunj. That incident further damaged the relation between the KMC and the road division office. As a responsible body, the KMC must not have acted like this. 

As there was an unfavourable situation for the KMC to implement the sidewalk expansion plan, Mayor Shah moved the Patan High Court. The court issued an interim order mentioning that the management of urban roads falls under the local government’s jurisdiction. The court directed that the sidewalk widening work should not be stopped. Immediately after the issuance of the court’s order, the KMC resumed the footpath expansion project some days ago. But the KMC has failed to move the project ahead owing to continuous protests by the locals. Ward chairperson and other elected representatives have also joined hands with the agitating locals.

Putting people first

Government bodies as well as other development agencies must put the people at the centre while carrying out any development project. No development project can be successful if it is implemented without understanding the concerned people’s needs and aspirations. One of the objections shown by the New Road locals is that Mayor Shah has not listened to their problems. The metropolis has created a sense of terror among them by mobilising dozers and metropolitan security forces. Looking at its working style, the KMC appears to be adamant on its stance. But this will not help solve the problem in the long run. 

Instead of showing an authoritarian behaviour, the KMC leadership must work as per the wishes and requirements of the people. The locals seem to be ready to talk to Mayor Shah about the issue directly. They are not totally against expanding footpaths. The issue can be settled through holding dialogue in an amicable environment. But the Mayor is often found making comments only on social media. His one-sided statements alone cannot help solve the problem. In this era of democracy, the people’s trust and participation are essential in every development endeavour.    

(The author is a former deputy executive editor of this daily.)