Kathmandu, July 2

Two speeding micro-buses collided at Sinamagal in front of the Department of Information, early this morning, leaving all 17 passengers on board injured.

In the accident that occurred at 4:45 am, Bharat Khatri, 40, a Nepali Army soldier, sustained injuries in his head and neck. One of the drivers Himal Kafle also sustained head injuries. Injured passengers were rushed to nearby Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital in another micro bus.

The hospital administration informed that all the passengers, except those who sustained head injuries, returned home following primary treatment.

Of the two micro-buses, one was heading towards Gausala from Koteshwor with 15 passengers in it. Another micro-bus was also heading towards Koteshwor with just two persons, including the driver.

Superintendent of Police Rabi Kumar Poudel, also a spokesperson for Metropolitan Traffic Police Division said that the accident took place due to over speeding.

Of around a dozen general public that THT talked to regarding road safety measures and increasing road accidents, almost everybody said micro-buses were responsible for majority of the accidents in the area. They also said the main reason behind increasing accidents was reckless driving of micro-bus drivers.

“I commute to college in Minibhawan by micro-bus early mornings. I find that micro-bus drivers, especially in the morning, violate traffic rules increasing chances of fatal accidents,” said Namita Dhungel, a resident of Balkumari, Lalitpur, who was waiting for a public vehicle at Ghattekulo Chowk.

People are full of complaints against public vehicle drivers and demanded stringent action against errant drivers.

“Traffic police alone can’t do much towards ensuring safety measures for passengers in public vehicles. Safety of passengers is the responsibility of vehicle drivers,” said SP Poudel.

A total of 228 people lost their lives to road accidents in Kathmandu valley in the first 11 months of the fiscal 2018-19. Of them, 27 were killed by buses, 24 by jeeps, eight by micro-buses and one by tempo. Police said although they had not classified vehicles that met with accidents into public or private, above 95 per cent of such vehicles are buses, jeeps, micro-buses and three-wheelers.

Remaining deaths were caused by trucks, tankers, motorbikes, tractors and pick-up vans. Most of these vehicles are also registered as public vehicle, except motorbikes.

Motorbikes took lives of 92 people, this fiscal.

A total of 194 persons had lost their lives inside valley in road accidents, last year.

As many as 228 people lost their lives in road accidents in Kathmandu valley in the first 11 months of fiscal 2018-2019