KATHMANDU, July 12: Due to a spate of road deaths, mainly of motorcyclists, in accidents involving tippers, the government has decided to restrict tippers and other cargo vehicles to ply the Suryabinayak-Koteshwar section of the Arniko Highway during rush hours. The ban has been effected from Wednesday itself.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police Basanta Pant at the Metropolitan Police Traffic Division (MPTD), Ramshahapath, all tippers and cargo vehicles are prohibited from plying the road section between 8 am to 12 noon and 3 pm to 8 pm every day.
Time card introduced for tippers to minimize road accidents
“They will be barred from entering the Valley during these busy hours. We believe this will greatly help reduce traffic accidents,” he said.
According to the MPTD, the Kathmandu Valley recorded a total of 108 accidents since from mid-June. Of them, there was the involvement of tippers in 40 accidents.
On Monday, a motorcyclist was killed at Jadibuti after a tipper hit him. This came a few days after a similar accident took place on the same road section.
Traffic police officials informed that some of the main reasons behind increasing accidents along the road section in Bhaktapur have been found to be violation of lane discipline, overtaking from the wrong side and over speeding. Most of the two-wheelers which met with accidents have been found to be driving in zigzag way.
Traffic police have also decided to enforce time card for cargo vehicles plying the road section starting from July 17. This is expected to discourage over speeding of tippers and other cargo vehicles.
