A fresh debate has emerged over the past few days regarding the approach of traffic police in the Kathmandu Valley. The fatal accident in the Gatthaghar area of Bhaktapur, where a civilian died in front of traffic police on Thursday has intensified road safety concerns. The tragic accident, involving a truck (Na 6 B 2173) and a scooter (Ba 39 P 8944), has sparked public outcry over the effectiveness of how traffic police personnel are working to ensure road safety. Instead of coordinating road safety and reducing accidents, there is growing concern that traffic police on duty are more focused on laying traps and extorting money in the name of disciplining traffic rules violators. As a newspaper, we urge traffic police not to approach their duties with a punitive mindset and focus instead on facilitating traffic management through other constructive means.

Roads across Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur are often chaotic. Beyond the main roads of the valley, traffic signs, lights, and other infrastructure are often in disrepair. Ordinary people are subjected to the dual challenges of potholes and traffic fines. Drivers frequently find themselves fined in areas where traffic signs are poorly maintained or missing altogether. On many one-way roads, unclear lane markings result in drivers realizing their mistakes only when they receive a ticket and get their driving license and blue book confiscated. Speeding, disobeying traffic rules and failing to yield to pedestrians are common offenses. But the way traffic police personnel seem to be trying to address them only through punitive measures is less likely to solve the problem. Laying traps to penalize people at intersections rather than guiding them is unfair to the public. Senior advocate Bhimarjun Acharya, in a Facebook post, has rightly argued that such a tendency from a state agency is not only condemnable but also illegal.

While traffic police personnel should mend their ways, the onus also lies on the drivers to help facilitate traffic discipline in the streets. Approximately 1.95 million vehicles are registered in Bagmati Province, with about 1.5 million of them in Kathmandu Valley alone. It becomes challenging for limited traffic police personnel to ensure traffic discipline even if a small percentage of these drivers do not follow traffic rules. The tendency of these drivers to violate traffic rules, risking the life of their own and those on the streets, is concerning. They should understand that adherence to traffic rules is not only beneficial for others but also for their own life. It is a duty of responsible citizens to follow the rules and help traffic police personnel to maintain road discipline. Keeping in view of the mounting public anger against the punitive mindset of traffic police personnel, traffic police personnel should not start their day with the intent to issue maximum fines. The punishment should be coupled with reformation. The government agencies concerned should work towards repairing and maintaining traffic signs, lights and other infrastructure that are often in disrepair in the Kathmandu Valley. Traffic police should adopt innovative approaches with the use of new technology to discipline the drivers breaching the traffic discipline. It is equally necessary to ensure regular road safety audits, which will eventually contribute to road safety. A commitment to raising awareness among road users is crucial for building trust in the traffic system. Fines alone will not reduce road accidents, nor will they improve road safety. 

 
• Traffic_Checking
 
• Nepal
 
• Penalty-Focused_Approach