Pothole maintenance ambulance brought into operation

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Nov. 29: A pothole maintenance ambulance has been brought into operation to immediately repair potholes on Kathmandu roads. This is the first time such a road repair ambulance has been used in Nepal.

Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development, Kul Man Ghising, on Thursday, inaugurated the road pothole maintenance ambulance introduced by the Road Division Office, Kathmandu

The ambulance will be used for the immediate repair of strategically important roads within Kathmandu district under the jurisdiction of the Road Division Office.

Similarly, a mobile app has also been launched to provide immediate information about potholes and initiate repairs. Through the system, users can take and upload photos of potholes and update their status after repairs are completed.

Minister Ghising said that the road ambulance has been introduced as a model in Nepal and will be expanded to other major cities to address complaints regarding road maintenance. 

He emphasised that road maintenance services should be made more effective by installing state-of-the-art equipment similar to that used in developed countries.

Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Keshav Kumar Sharma and Director General of the Department of Roads Bijay Jaishi expressed confidence that the introduction of road ambulances would help address road maintenance complaints promptly.

Chief District Officer of Kathmandu, Ishwor Raj Poudel, said that the road maintenance ambulance service would contribute to making road repair work more effective and transparent.

Chief of the Road Division Office, Kathmandu, Subodh Kumar Devkota, said that the ambulance will be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, enabling immediate road repairs to ensure smooth movement. A trained technical team will accompany the ambulance, reach locations where potholes are found, and complete repair work quickly. 

Warning lights will be used for traffic management during operations, and emergency repairs can be carried out even during rush hours. Meanwhile, Minister Ghising also inspected the road maintenance work conducted through the ambulance on Thursday evening.