Bhaktapur: Since taking charge as Chief of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, SSP Suresh Kafle has been actively enforcing traffic rules and discipline. A service lane located south of New Thimi Chowk in Bhaktapur which had long been informally used as a microbus parking area, has now been cleared.

The move, carried out after Suresh Kafle assumed leadership of the Valley Traffic Police Office, has been positively welcomed by local residents, business owners and daily commuters. For years, pedestrians and drivers of smaller vehicles had faced difficulties as microbuses were lined up and parked along the service lane.

The service lane had effectively turned into a bus park, undermining its intended purpose. Locals complained that pedestrians, scooter riders, motorcyclists and other small vehicle operators found it difficult to move freely through the area.

The service lane is located about 300 meters from Madhyapur Thimi Hospital and residents say that even ambulances carrying patients often struggled to reach the hospital due to the obstruction. According to locals, the unmanaged parking of microbuses in the service lane also affected emergency services.

Residents further alleged that some microbus drivers and conductors frequently harassed pedestrians and users of two-wheelers and small vehicles, verbally abused them and compelled them to clear the route. Such incidents had contributed to a growing sense of insecurity among the public.

Local business owners say the situation in the area has improved significantly since the microbus parking area was removed yesterday. With the service lane now open, pedestrians, cyclists and small vehicles can move more easily. Business owners have also reported that customer access has become more convenient.

According to locals, several attempts had previously been made to remove the microbus parking area but none were successful. They alleged that protection from certain local political leaders and microbus operators had prevented effective enforcement in the past.

This time, however, the Valley Traffic Police Office successfully cleared the service lane earning widespread praise from local residents. They emphasized the need to continue such efforts to keep public roads and service lanes free from encroachment.

Residents hope that regular monitoring and strict enforcement will prevent the service lane from once again becoming an unmanaged parking area. They believe this will help make traffic management in the New Thimi area more organized and safer.

Valley Traffic Police spokesperson Naresh Raj Subedi stated that due to limited manpower, traffic police personnel cannot be present everywhere at all times. However, he urged citizens to report traffic related problems in their areas to the Traffic Police Office assuring that immediate action would be taken upon receiving such information.