Govt told to take immediate steps to improve road safety

KATHMANDU: A coalition of road safety campaigners, civil society leaders, journalists, and concerned global citizens has called on the government to take immediate steps to improve road safety in the country.

In a joint petition addressed to Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, the group urged the government to pass the Road Safety Bill, endorse the National Road Safety Strategy, and establish a powerful Road Safety Council at the earliest.

“In a tragic incident, two passenger buses carrying over 60 passengers were swept by massive debris into the Trishuli River. While nearly 20 bodies have been recovered so far, the rest of the passengers remain missing. We call upon the Government of Nepal to make sure that such incidences do not recur in the future,” they said in the joint petition.

According to Nepal Police, nearly 24,000 Nepalis have lost their lives in road traffic crashes over the past decade while 72,000 others were seriously injured. The Ministry of Health and Population has recorded that nearly 100,000 survivors of road crashes have been treated in various hospitals and health centers across Nepal in one year.

A report released at the 15th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety (2-4 September) by the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office (New Delhi) has revealed that Nepal’s progress in comparison to other countries in the region is the most disappointing when measured against the 12 global road safety performance targets. According to the report, Nepal has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates in the world with an estimated death rate of more than 28 per 100,000 population. While neighboring countries like India have been reducing the number of road traffic deaths, Nepal has seen a 25 percent increase over the past decade, it added.

The petitioners have called for various measures, including recruiting additional traffic police, improving road quality, stricter enforcement of road safety laws, and introducing vehicle fitness testing centers. They argue that strong road safety measures will not only save lives but also contribute to the country’s economic progress and improve its international reputation.