In Nepal, the rate of deaths due to road accidents is probably higher than by anything else. Not even cardiac arrests or AIDS claim as many lives as road accident do. Unfortunately, however shocked they are at the ever rising number of road accidents -- most of them simply avoidable, government authorities appear least bothered about doing away with problems that cause road mishaps. [break]
Low-quality roads (bumpy, narrow or muddy), use of old or nearly broken down vehicles, unscientific method of issuing driving licenses, overloading, weak traffic check system and negligence by drivers have been identified as the major causes of road accidents. “It is not that concerned government bodies are unmindful of these causes,” says DIG Tapendra Dhwaj Hamal, the chief of the Midwestern Traffic Police Office. “But, as they do not try to address these issues, accidents are occurring almost regularly.”
On August 30 this year, altogether 28 people died when a bus veered off Karnali Highway. Later, it was concluded that the poor condition of the highway, which connects Jumla with Surkhet, was the major reason behind that deadly accident. However, upgrading the Karnali Highway, which is too narrow and bumpy to be called a highway, is yet not in the priority list of the government. As old buses crammed with passengers continue to ply the Karnali Highway, another deadly accident can occur anytime in the future.
In the midwestern region, other roads are also in a very sorry state. “As roads are very bad, a new bus wears out in a matter of 3-4 years,” says Bishnu Bahadur Khadka, chairman of the Midwestern Transport Entrepreneurs´ Association. “It is always a high risk to drive buses on narrow, bumpy and muddy roads.”
To an extent, Khadka is right. But, drivers and/or public transport entrepreneurs are equally responsible for frequent road accidents. However aware at the risk of driving on narrow and bumpy roads, they always squeeze as many passengers as they can into their bus, which also increases the risk of road accidents. Along the Dhuliyabit-Bhedabari road of Surkhet, where the latest deadly accident occurred, it is quite rare to see a bus that is not jam-packed. “In such crammed buses, there is not enough space even for standing on both feet,” says Dilmaya Birkatta, a local resident. “It is not unnatural that such buses often meet with accidents.”
In many cases, accidents have occurred due to drink-driving. Although the Traffic Police have intensified a campaign to curb drink-driving across the country in recent times, it has yet to make an impact on those who drive after drinking, especially on long routes. And, it is easy to get driving licenses by bribing government staff. “If driving license distribution system is fair and old buses do not get route permit, the number of road accidents will automatically decline,” says DIG Hamal.
However, Om Basnet of Bheri Zonal Transport Management Office is not ready to accept the blame. “We do not approve ownership transfer or route transfer of over 20-year-old vehicles,” says Basnet. “If people use their old vehicles without obtaining approval from our office, what can we do? We can´t go out and catch them.”
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