KATHMANDU, Dec 8: Shortly after assuming office as the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) on May 30, Balendra Shah announced an innovative concept of infrastructure ambulance. It was the first time that Nepal was seeing a service of this kind.
It has been almost six months since the KMC officially started infrastructure ambulance, which aims at repairing small damages in roads such as filling potholes and repairing drainage that otherwise litter dirty water on the road and risk public health.
To start with, KMC converted two garbage trucks into infrastructure ambulances with new paints on them and started discharging the works of infrastructure ambulances. This failed to impress many in the beginning, as they criticized Mayor Shah on social media platforms for not incorporating modern technology and equipment in these vehicles touted as infrastructure ambulances.
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But these ambulances swung into action shortly. They could be spotted in action in various areas of Kathmandu such as New Baneshwar, Dallu, Buddhanagar and Baluwatar.
Amid complaints that the works of infrastructure ambulance during the busy hours had added woes to the traffic management, these ambulances started operating in the morning and evening. Nowadays, KMC’s infrastructure ambulances are spotted operating less often on the road as compared to the past as they work during off hours.
According to KMC Spokesperson Nabin Manandhar, a team of eight including engineers and workers work together to fill potholes. Earlier, there was a team of six for the same work. “There are two infrastructure ambulances in operation on the premises of KMC ward offices,” he said.
Spokesperson Manandhar said they have been receiving positive feedback for the operation of the infrastructure ambulance as this new arrangement has been highly effective to fix the problems seen on the road. “These ambulances leave for work as soon as we receive a complaint at our call center,” he said. “Two infrastructure ambulances are enough for the Kathmandu metropolis as of now. We will have more human resources and vehicles in the future, if required.”
With the election of new people’s representatives, new ideas are cultivated. As much as it is important for the KMC to fulfill its promises, it must impact the lives of the common people for the better. It seems these infrastructure ambulances are doing exactly the same.
