Kathmandu Valley sees decline in accidents and human casualties in the past three years

Published On: July 27, 2024 07:05 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, July 27: The number of traffic accidents and human casualties has decreased in the Kathmandu Valley. According to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, there has been a decline in both accidents and casualties over the past three years.

In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021/2022, there were 10,733 vehicle accidents resulting in the death of 191 people. In FY 2022/2023, 187 people died in 10,675 accidents, and in the most recent FY (2023/2024), 177 people died in 8,881 vehicle accidents. Of these, 129 were men and 48 were women, according to Spokesperson of the office and Superintendent of Police (SP) Bishwaraj Khadka.

SP Khadka claimed that the reduction in road accidents is due to effective traffic management, public awareness programs, strict security checks, and various campaigns. He mentioned that compared to the previous FY (2022/2023), the number of accidents has decreased by 16.8 percent, and the number of deaths has decreased by six percent.

He also mentioned that there are plans to further improve traffic management in the current fiscal year (2024/2025) with the goal of reducing accidents. The public awareness program has encouraged road users to adhere to traffic rules and prioritize road safety.

According to the police, 477,303 people have directly benefited from traffic-related activities, including traffic week programs, passenger-friendly special campaigns, and traffic awareness campaigns.

SSP Jeevan Kumar Shrestha stated that the traffic police's campaigns against driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, following lane discipline, and reckless driving have been effective. SSP Shrestha reported that the traffic police have taken action against over 1 million people for violating traffic rules and have collected Rs 726 million in fines.

He added that regular patrols, road-focused awareness programs, traffic safety checks, expanded checkpoints, and efforts to cover inner streets and narrow roads are being implemented, with additional plans in development to enhance effectiveness.