Opening of Nepal tourism year 2011

Kathmandu Valley denizens are likely to have a tough time commuting on Friday when the government will formally kick off the Nepal Tourism Year 2011.

While some roads are expected to be closed, traffic will be disrupted at different places.Thousands, including top officials are expected to attend the inauguration ceremony that will begin at 11.30 a.m. at the Dasharath Stadium. The official programme will end at 3 p.m. The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD), Kathmandu and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the secretariat of the NTY-2011, issued a circular on Thursday alerting commoners of the possible traffic co

ngestion and disruption inside the Capital on Friday. To ensure effective traffic management, traffic police and the NTB have made necessary arrangements for the day.

According to DSP Basanta Pant, spokesperson of the MTPD, around eight different areas in and around the Capital have been identified for vehicle parking for those attending the programme.

The areas are Army Officers’ Club Ground, Kanti Ishwari Shishu School, Eye Hospital, United World Trade Centre, Civil Mall, Nepal Airlines Corporation, Bishwa Niketan Higher Secondary School in Tripureshowr area and Tundikhel.

Pant said traffic will ease to some extent with the government deciding to declare Friday a public holiday. “We expect normal traffic till 8.30 in the morning. However, the situation is likely to get bad throughout the day after that,” he added. The movement of private vehicles will be halted in main roads, including the section joining Thapathali-Tripureshwor, Singhadurbar-Putalisadak and Bhadrakali-Bir Hospital-Jamal.

Vehicular movement in most of the corridor areas joining the Dasharath Stadium will be closed if the traffic pressure increases, Pant said. As many as 250 traffic personnel have been mobilised to ensure good traffic flow.