As I stare outside my office in Patan, I feel an ease. The greenery around, the easy traffic navigation, and the daily lunch walks with my colleagues all give me a sense of ease to my eyes, mind, and body. However, this is a luxury only some residents of the Kathmandu Valley get to enjoy.
Most roads in Kathmandu are choking on smoke, congestion, and mixed-use pathways for vehicles, humans, and animals. The city’s transport challenge is not simply one of pollution or congestion in isolation. It is structural. And the growing enthusiasm for electric vehicles (EVs), while commendable, may be solving only half the problem. Non-motorized mobility like walking and cycling, supported by reliable public transport, is the key.
Space and Street as a Social Relation
I remember, during my childhood in the early 2000s, core city dwellers preferred motorized two-wheeled vehicles to four-wheeled ones. The latter required parking that was not available in the dwelling area, discouraging its rapid purchase. The streets were where social interactions happened, from day-to-day activities to annual festivals like the jatras.
The same streets were forced to accommodate two-wheeler and four-wheeler transport as the city grew and motorized transportation infiltrated. Till the 90s, walking and cycling dominated as the main form of commute. According to a study by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), around 53 percent of commutes in the valley were made on foot in 1993. Cycling was around 7 percent.
By 2020, both had significantly declined as a mode of commute. Roads of the valley now, although wider in newer areas, face more difficulty due to high vehicular traffic and a disconnect in decision-making. Given that the average distance covered by private vehicles in Kathmandu is approximately 5 kilometers, which can be walked or cycled, excessive use of motorized transportation for daily use is unnecessary. Interestingly, metropolitan offices in the valley have come up with solutions to turn these streets to non-motorized and social spaces, hoping to change citizens’ perception.
Perception of Non-motorized Transport
In Nepali urban communities, owning a motorized vehicle is a marker of social status. Research shows a growth trend in private vehicle ownership, with motorcycles accounting for 80 percent of vehicles as of Fiscal Year 2023/24 AD (2080/81 BS). Meanwhile, cycling is generally seen as a commute for lower-income households, a necessity rather than a choice. Changing this perception of cycling and increasing walking habits is crucial to promoting non-motorized transportation in the valley.
The government has implemented several policies to encourage this shift. Lalitpur Metropolitan City has installed a 4.7 km cycle lane from Kupondole to Mangal Bazar. During its limited trial phase, the “Patan Paila Pailaima” program temporarily turned the surrounding streets of Patan Durbar Square into a vehicle-free zone. Similarly, Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s “Vehicle-Free Asan” program restricts vehicles in the Asan area every Saturday. These efforts indicate the government’s initiatives to explore mixed-use street plans, which are not decided by motorized vehicles.
Despite these initiatives, a key question arises: are these efforts enough? Lalitpur’s cycle lane is a painted strip on an already congested roads. Pedestrians going to the Asan market require bigger parking areas for their private vehicles or spend extra time awaiting the unpunctual public transport.
These initiatives are a start, but much effort is needed to change perception. Nepal must learn from countries with successful sustainable commute cultures. Colombian capital Bogota’s initiative of car-free streets on Sundays and public holidays motivated cycling to school and work during other days of the week. Restrictions on private vehicles on these days were particularly important to encourage uptake of non-motorized vehicles or public transport. Similarly, Japan’s cycling culture, despite a dedicated lane, thrives on cycling as an everyday commute within five kilometers radius and is well supported by its well-connected public transportation system. Nepal can learn from Bogotá’s initiative to promote cycling and Japan’s creation of a proper public transport system to retain the cycling culture.
Increasing Reliance on Private Vehicles and the EV Trap
Currently, roads in Kathmandu face multi-faceted issues. The widths of most roads are inadequate to ease the daily vehicular traffic. Within the valley, the roads in newer areas are poorly planned, with absent or inadequately present footpaths. Additionally, it is difficult to tell who the roads are for. A 20-foot road is shared by the daily motorized-vehicular traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, and animals.
Likewise, motorized forms of transportation are growing in the valley. In the 90s public buses were the second-highest form of commute coming after walking and cycling. By 2020, walking and cycling had declined and were replaced by motorcycles. Motorcycles hold one-third of the commute. Among the four-wheelers, the proportion of public buses remained fairly similar, but the use of private vehicles almost doubled by 2020.
EVs have emerged as an ‘eco-friendly’ alternative to Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. In the past year alone, Nepal received worldwide recognition for being the second-highest electric vehicle adopter globally. Given the country’s dominance of renewable energy through its hydropower, it is imperative to see the environmental boon. Although this marks a shift to reducing air pollution in the city, this progress is a band-aid to a deeper structural problem of road congestion.
Public Transportation as the Bridge
Non-motorized transportation, although necessary, is not efficient for longer-distance travel in the valley. EVs, despite reducing air pollution, do not address the prevailing road congestion. A well-planned public transportation system based on a renewable source of energy is the solution.
Kathmandu’s established public transportation system is run by private entities, prioritizing profit-making and self-interest. It is constrained by major issues like duplication of routes, terminals in the city center, and poor service, making it inconvenient for the passengers. Despite multiple studies conducted previously, the valley lacks a well-integrated system. To address these shortcomings, the government established the Federal Capital City Public Transport Authority (FCCPTA) in 2022. Similarly, Nepal’s NDC 3.0 commits to building and operating at least 50 km of integrated electric bus, trolley, and light rail transit system within Kathmandu Valley by 2030, and 100 km by 2035.
As Nepal transitions towards EVs, more use of electric public transport would lower vehicular emissions in the valley air. However, the government must tackle ongoing issues in public transport like travel time, punctuality, overcrowding, and waiting time.
The Paradox of Air Pollution
Ironically enough, air pollution in the valley is another major factor demotivating non-motorized transportation. One-third of the total air pollution in Kathmandu Valley originates internally, with vehicular emissions being among the primary contributors.
Transport accounts for approximately 30 percent of PM10 emissions in the valley, second only to construction activities. Kathmandu’s annual average PM2.5 concentration stands at 45.1 μg/m³, around nine times higher than the WHO annual guideline of 5 μg/m³. For someone cycling daily in these conditions, the health trade-off is real and cannot be dismissed.
But this paradox requires calculated decision-making. In the short term, daily cyclists are exposed to harmful pollutants. In the long term, however, decreasing the purchase of (ICE) vehicles in the valley would reduce overall air pollution in the city. With growing political will, policies to curb seasonal burning and forest fires can be reduced. It is now time to explore ways to change our modes of transportation, shifting from motorized private transport to sustainable non-motorized ones.
The Way Forward
Kathmandu does not have to choose between electric vehicles and non-motorized mobility. But it must have practical solutions to reduce air pollution and promote non-motorized mobility for long-term sustainable transport. Recent decisions by Kathmandu and Lalitpur Metropolitan Cities to promote these mobilities indicate a positive change in the valley. However, these efforts must not be stand-alone examples, but rather a part of an integrated process.
Perhaps in the next decade, most living in the valley will have access to the luxury of longer walks, cleaner air, and reliable public transportation.
Nasala Prajapati holds a Master’s in Development and Sustainability with a minor in Gender and Development. She is a results-driven professional dedicated to research and initiatives that promote development and reduce inequality, with a strong focus on sustainable practices. Currently, she serves as the Coordinator of the Himalayan Future Forum at the Nepal Economic Forum.
