5,180 road accidents in Kathmandu valley in 10 months of current fiscal year

Out of 149 people, killed in road accidents in Kathmandu Valley in 10 months of the current fiscal year, 80 were 17-35 years. Similarly, 15 were under 16 years and 54 were above 36 years.

A total of 5,180 road accidents occurred in Kathmandu valley in 10 months of current fiscal year and 149 lost their lives, 184 people were critically injured and 3,485 received minor injuries in the accidents.

Chief at the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, Basanta Kumar Panta, said that riding motorcycle in over speed by the people aged between 16-35 years is the main cause behind the increasing number of road accidents. Most of the people killed in the road accidents were motorcyclists.

A total of 166 people lost their lives in road accidnets in Kathmandu Valley in 2015/16. Of them 92 are from the age of 16-35 years, according to the data.

Similarly, out of 182 people killed in road mishaps in 2016/17, eighty-six were from the same group.

Division Chief Panta said more accidnets occure during night as compared to day time in Kathmandu Valley.

The MTPD states that most traffic accidents occur due to the collision of vehicles as there are too many vehicles and the roads are narrow. There are one million 132 thousand 925 vehicles in the Kathmandu valley. The number of vehicles throughout the country is around 2.7 million.

Traffic in the Kathmandu valley is being managed through 40 traffic police units. Division chief Panta said the quota of traffic police is very less in proportion to the number of vehicles which is causing problem in managing the traffic.

General Secretary of Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs (FNNTE), Saroj Sitaula explained the high number of road accidents to high speed and lack of appropriate road infrastructure.

Among the casualties from traffic accidents in Kathmandu valley, males account more than females.

According to the Division, 130 males and 36 females died in fiscal year 2015/16; 121 males and 61 females in fiscal year 2016.17 and 117 males and 32 females in the current fiscal year due to traffic accidents in the Valley.

MTPD stated that it has taken action against 378 thousand 927 vehicles breaching traffic rules in the current fiscal year.

The number of vehicles in Kathmandu valley is so high that it is said one traffic police personnel has to manage 1044 vehicles.