To manage increasing urbanization and traffic congestion in the Kathmandu Valley, traffic lights were installed at 69 intersections. However, 29 of them have been non-functional for months, with no government agency stepping up to repair them. Of the 69 installations, the Department of Roads was responsible for 46, Kathmandu Metropolitan City for six, and Lalitpur Metropolitan City for seven. Additionally, seven lights were installed in collaboration with various banks, and three by other organizations. Among them, 13 are Pelican crossings.
The 62nd report of the Auditor General highlighted the issue, stating that 29 traffic lights are in disrepair and need urgent attention. The report also recommended the adoption of modern traffic management technologies, such as CCTV, surveillance vehicles, body-worn cameras, and GoPro cameras. Currently, the Valley Traffic Division monitors 415 CCTV cameras installed at 270 locations.
According to Deepak Giri, spokesperson for the Traffic Division, no specific authority has been designated to handle the repair of broken traffic lights. Traditionally, the agency that installed the lights is expected to maintain them. After recent discussions, it was agreed that the Urban Department would assume responsibility for the upkeep of road-installed traffic lights. The department has already issued a tender for their maintenance.
Arjun Prasad Aryal, spokesperson for the Department of Roads, stated that while the department holds jurisdiction over traffic light installation in the Valley, various institutions—including metropolitan cities, ward offices, and financial institutions—have also installed lights independently. Each body is expected to monitor its own installations.
Among the lights installed by the Road Department, only those at Jadibuti and Koteshwor are currently non-operational. Aryal noted that the repair process is time-consuming due to legal requirements under the Procurement Act 2007. This year, the department has issued a Rs 15m tender for repairing and maintaining lights under its jurisdiction.
Rakesh Maharjan, head of the Road Safety and Traffic Branch at the Road Department, added that many lights installed by metropolitan cities remain non-functional and have not been formally handed over to the department. As a result, the department does not consider itself responsible for their maintenance. According to Maharjan, the traffic lights at Tinkune and Jadibuti Chowk were damaged during recent protests. These are currently under repair. Lights with minor issues are fixed quickly, but those with hardware or software malfunctions take longer to repair.
There are approximately 107 major intersections in the Valley, all of which require traffic lights. However, the department is prioritizing high-traffic intersections, with new lights under construction at Radhe Radhe Chowk and Char Dobato Chowk in Bhaktapur. Maharjan emphasized that installing traffic lights is costly. The price varies depending on the number of connected roads, with a single intersection costing upwards of Rs 5m. Generally, traffic light hardware lasts five to seven years.
The department is also upgrading old traffic lights with modern, automated digital systems, which are more expensive but efficient. Historical data from the Road Department shows that a total of 115 traffic lights have been installed in the Valley to date—65 by the Road Department, 38 by Kathmandu Metropolitan City, five by Lalitpur Metropolitan City, and five by Mahalaxmi Municipality. However, records for many intersections are incomplete.
Of the 69 lights currently supposed to be in operation, only 40 are functional. The lack of maintenance and accountability has left traffic police to manually manage many busy intersections. This has led to increased traffic congestion, frequent rule violations, and overall traffic disorder in areas without functional traffic lights.
