So I recently saw this being shared, and I could not agree more. It brings me no joy to bring up this topic; wait, it actually does bring me joy. Not ‘joy joy’ but you get the point.
I can’t help but remember this one assignment during
our MBA course. My friend and I were supposed to do a presentation on a system
that needs change in Nepal and we literally came to the same conclusion in mere
seconds, I kid you not. The system that needs immediate change in Nepal: the transportation
system. I’m sure most of you would agree with me, wouldn’t you? I can see
hypothetical nods as I write this. It hasn’t been long that I have rode by
myself on the roads of Nepal, but I think I can speak on behalf of everyone, be
it on any sort of vehicle or on foot.
The conditions of the roads of Nepal comes as no
surprise to any of us; no, not in the least bit. The recently finished or
rather renovated ring road, the underground passage at Kalanki chowk is great,
no doubt, but all foreign aided. Are there streetlights in Kathmandu, the main
city? Hell, no! Even the main streets lack streetlights with a few exceptions.
Is the transportation office a tiny bit flexible with the tax payment? Of
course not. Why would they be, right? Tax is meant to be paid on time, for your
house, from your income, for your vehicle, hell even for breathing. But let’s
leave all that aside for now and focus on the road muddle in the valley.
When you step outside, I’m sure you must see the
traffic. Who knows how many vehicles there are out there, be it four wheeled or
two wheeled. Now imagine, each and every individual out there pays tax for the
vehicle because they should. Can you imagine the tax amount endured? I for one,
cannot. But here is the big twister: if such tax amount is collected on regular
basis, from a large crowd, I may add, where does it all go? Are we paying tax
for roads that are safe and good to ride? Who are we kidding? Are we paying tax
for roads that ensure our safety at night? Please refer to the sentence of no
streetlights for the answer. Are we paying tax for roads that are regularly
maintained? Do I really need to answer that?
But, but here’s another twister: does that stop the
government from fining the average citizen for shenanigans? You forgot to put
on your helmet, you might be fined. You are talking on the phone while driving,
you might be fined. You are driving drunk, you might be fined. I get it, the
government is doing this for my own safety and for the others around me. But if
they were as we called “concerned for our safety”, would they not pay the least
bit attention to all of the things pointed out above?
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