Dhangadi, March 3 Public vehicles plying the roads, which are not open to traffic, have contributed to the rise in road accidents in Province 7 in the last few years. Many roads in rural areas of the province are under construction but transport entrepreneurs ply vehicles on such roads putting people’s lives at risk. As many as nine persons of a same village lost their lives when a jeep met with an accident at Gaguda of Doti in July last year. A total of nine persons, including Pro Dr Jaya Raj Panta, died in yet another jeep mishap at Jijodamandu of the district on April 12, 2016, while as many as 31 persons were killed in a bus accident at Jorayal of Doti on October 5, 2014. As many as 59 persons sustained injuries in the mishap. Many of the rural roads in the province have not received permit to ply vehicles as they failed to meet criteria. In many cases, it is found that vehicles carry passengers more than its capacity which also leads to the rise in road accidents, according to Shaileshwori Transportation Entrepreneur Doti Chairperson Ganesh Malasi. District Administration Office grants permit to ply vehicles once a road that meets all the necessary criteria set by the government. “However, in some cases, it is seen that locals themselves exert pressure on authorities to grant permission even if the road does not meet the required criteria and the authorities do not have other options than giving temporary permit,” said Doti Chief District Officer Surya Bahadur Khatri. Banedangrisain-Jijodamandu, Budar-Jorayal, Dipayal-Chawarachautara road sections are some of the roads which are yet to receive permit from DAO. Dozens of accidents take place every year mainly on these roads. Similarly, authorities have granted temporary permit to Budar-Jogbudha road section of Dadeldhura and Tipada-Martadi road section of Bajura for operating vehicles. As per the data with Far-western Regional Traffic Police Office, Attariya, Kailali, as many as 224 persons lost their lives in road accidents in various places of the province from July 15, 2016 to March 3, 2018. As per statistics head of the office, head constable Bishnu Dhami, as many as 584 persons sustained injuries in 277 accidents during the period. “As many as 11 persons were killed in 11 road accidents in the last 15 days in the province alone,” said head constable Dhami. According to Acting Chief at Traffic Office Inspector Jaya Singh Bista, dilapidated condition of roads, geographical structure, technical reasons and human errors are to be blamed for the rise accidents. He underscored the need to upgrade roads, construction of drainage, placing traffic symbols along the roads besides. He said considering the poor condition of roads, night transportation service should be banned. “The number of road accidents is on the rise but the government has reduced the quota of traffic police in the province which has created difficulty keeping vigil along the roads,” said traffic police personnel. There is a quota of only 133 traffic personnel in the province. Of them, 120 personnel are deployed for their duty on a daily basis.