Between mid October and mid November of 2014, Kathmandu Valley saw 436 road accidents, which declined to 253 during the same period this year, when the impact of the Indian blockade was most visible. Despite the decline in the number of road accidents by 183, the number of casualties remained almost unchanged. The casualties during the period last year was nine, and this year it was eight, according to Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD).
Likewise, the total causalities in traffic accidents during mid November-mid December this year stands at 15, which is highest in the last three years. Last year, this period saw 12 deaths and the year before, it was 11.
This month alone, 263 road accidents were recorded in the Valley, where three people lost their lives, six sustained critical injuries and 205 received minor injuries.
"During the ongoing blockade, there have been rampant violations of traffic rules as fewer public vehicles plied due to fuel shortage," said Superintendent of Police (SP) Posh Raj Pokharel, spokesperson at MTPD. "As a result, people were forced to travel in dangerously overcrowded buses that carried passengers also on roofs. We had no choice but to relax traffic rules given the ," he added.
Now with the number of vehicles on the road steadily increasing, MTPD has decided to resume action from December 27 against vehicles that violate traffic rules.
"Vehicle numbers on the roads have increased of late but they have yet to return to normal levels," said SP Pokharel.
According to him, traffic police have already started taking action against motorcycles and scooters that carry two pillion riders. "We have also disallowed microbuses from carrying passengers on roofs. However, we have been a bit lenient for big buses for now," said SP Pokharel, adding that traffic rules will be fully implemented once the fuel crises ends.
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