According to the traffic police, the biggest cause behind the huge number of accidents in the period under discussion was over speeding. The police claims that even if it succeeds in bringing down the speed of the vehicles by one kilometer per hour, accident rates would go down by 4-5 percent. This is in a way also a confession by the police that they have been unable to get down to doing this simple task.
But the police alone cannot be blamed for its inability to discharge its duties. Time and again, there have been reports in the media on how understaffed our traffic police is. It has been demanding for an additional 2,000 personnel and going by how there has been a rise in the number of vehicles in recent times, it is high time the state considered their demand. The traffic police must have the personnel to apprehend anyone violating traffic rules, over speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol. Such persons behind the wheels not only risk their own life but also the life of people around them. This should not be tolerated at all.
One of the major ways in which people lose their lives in Nepal is bus accidents. Public buses that ply in the remote regions of the country are in bad shape, ply on narrow roads and crowded. This is one area in which the government must pay immediate attention. It must direct the local authorities to see to it that passenger limit is strictly enforced and the condition of the vehicles is properly monitored. The condition of the roads meanwhile is something that we hope will gradually improve over the years, thus directly helping to reduce road accidents.
Expanding the road network and improving the quality of the existing roads has been our government’s focus area in recent times. We can only hope that the brilliant plans will quickly see the light of the day.
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