Get Up Stand Up
She didn't even have to blow the whistle. She was standing right in front of me and that also on the footpath. I pretended to have realized that I accidentally happened to roll the wheels up in the footpath. In fact I had intentionally tried to skip the traffic jam at Thapathali. "Peti ma ta chalaunu bhayena ni bhai", was what she said when she bought my license at the cost of a chit. "You be at Thapathali station within 24 hours" was her instruction and she left before I could open my mouth.
It was the second time that week that I was invited to a traffic-police station. Earlier, I had forgotten to carry the bill-book (blue book is what everyone calls it) with me. I cannot forget how rudely he had talked to me while producing a chit and taken my license.
The next day when I went to fetch my license back, I was appalled by the tone of the traffic police (it was another one though). He was treating me as if I was a customer trying to buy something from him. He explained to me what happens if we don't carry the bill book and to my surprise he compared it to be as severe as hit and run. He said the fine for not carrying the license is 200 bucks. I went to my wallet when he further said that he would charge only 150. I was happy to get a discount of 50 rupees. When I shared the incident with a friend later, he asked me whether I asked for a bill. I said I didn't and he laughed at me and said that, the amount went to the pocket of the officer and did not reach the government's account.
How could I forget his words as I had to pay for the second time in three days. I went to Thapathali to fetch my license again. There was a lady in the counter. She didn't offer me a discount this time and I paid 200 bucks. I waited for a while but she didn't seem to produce the bill. I asked for it, and then she said she was producing one - in a harsh tone.
In both the places I saw that there were more than 100 licenses that were seized for one reason or the other. They charge at least 200 bucks for each license meaning that they collect a revenue of Rs. 20,000 every day, Rs. 600,000 every month and Rs. 7,200,000 every year from a single traffic police station. I have no idea how many stations are there in Kathmandu valley. Let's say roughly that there are 20 such stations. This gives a total revenue of Rs. 144,000,000 inside Kathmandu Valley alone every year. Now let us assume that I overvalued the amount and got it wrong by 44 million rupees which leaves us with an acceptable amount of Rs. 100,000,000 i.e. one billion Nepali rupees in a year.
Now the question arises, where does the money go? We have the poorest traffic system in Kathmandu. It takes an hour to travel ten kilometers which means our average driving speed is 10 kilometers per hour (if we are lucky). The traffic lights that seem to be the most important part of the street are not functional almost every time. I will know that the traffic lights at Thapathali is not working from as far as Maitighar because of the jam and I promise that I have never failed in my anticipation. Talking about the roads, they're not only bumby but so dusty that you have to have brilliant vision to see 10 meters ahead.
The greatest fear is that the amount goes into the pockets of the high position holders if not in the pockets of the lower level ones. We have a tendency of not bothering about the money as we pay. We the people should keep track of where do the taxes, fines and the revenue goes and how well it is being utilized. We have not been able to inquire about our own money let alone the donations received from other countries. I don't think we are destined to be as poor as we are. We are made poor by our own leaders.
Let's unite for ourselves, let's unite for everyone.
It was the second time that week that I was invited to a traffic-police station. Earlier, I had forgotten to carry the bill-book (blue book is what everyone calls it) with me. I cannot forget how rudely he had talked to me while producing a chit and taken my license.
The next day when I went to fetch my license back, I was appalled by the tone of the traffic police (it was another one though). He was treating me as if I was a customer trying to buy something from him. He explained to me what happens if we don't carry the bill book and to my surprise he compared it to be as severe as hit and run. He said the fine for not carrying the license is 200 bucks. I went to my wallet when he further said that he would charge only 150. I was happy to get a discount of 50 rupees. When I shared the incident with a friend later, he asked me whether I asked for a bill. I said I didn't and he laughed at me and said that, the amount went to the pocket of the officer and did not reach the government's account.
How could I forget his words as I had to pay for the second time in three days. I went to Thapathali to fetch my license again. There was a lady in the counter. She didn't offer me a discount this time and I paid 200 bucks. I waited for a while but she didn't seem to produce the bill. I asked for it, and then she said she was producing one - in a harsh tone.
In both the places I saw that there were more than 100 licenses that were seized for one reason or the other. They charge at least 200 bucks for each license meaning that they collect a revenue of Rs. 20,000 every day, Rs. 600,000 every month and Rs. 7,200,000 every year from a single traffic police station. I have no idea how many stations are there in Kathmandu valley. Let's say roughly that there are 20 such stations. This gives a total revenue of Rs. 144,000,000 inside Kathmandu Valley alone every year. Now let us assume that I overvalued the amount and got it wrong by 44 million rupees which leaves us with an acceptable amount of Rs. 100,000,000 i.e. one billion Nepali rupees in a year.
Now the question arises, where does the money go? We have the poorest traffic system in Kathmandu. It takes an hour to travel ten kilometers which means our average driving speed is 10 kilometers per hour (if we are lucky). The traffic lights that seem to be the most important part of the street are not functional almost every time. I will know that the traffic lights at Thapathali is not working from as far as Maitighar because of the jam and I promise that I have never failed in my anticipation. Talking about the roads, they're not only bumby but so dusty that you have to have brilliant vision to see 10 meters ahead.
The greatest fear is that the amount goes into the pockets of the high position holders if not in the pockets of the lower level ones. We have a tendency of not bothering about the money as we pay. We the people should keep track of where do the taxes, fines and the revenue goes and how well it is being utilized. We have not been able to inquire about our own money let alone the donations received from other countries. I don't think we are destined to be as poor as we are. We are made poor by our own leaders.
Let's unite for ourselves, let's unite for everyone.
posted by NEKUD @ 11:02 PM
0 Comments
