KATHMANDU: Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) has recorded a total of 3,385 road accidents in the Kathmandu Valley between February 12, 2009 and February 8, 2010. The death toll from the road accidents had reached 137 during the same period. It said that at least 2,752 people were injured, 751 critically in the time span of one year. According to MTPD, 5,807 vehicles met with the accidents during the period of one year. Of them, 4,057 were ill-fated.

Kathmandu has topped the accident graph, followed by Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, during the same period. Satdobato, Chabahil, Jawalakhel, Airport area, Maharajgunj, Bhaktapur, Kalanki, Gongabu, Thankot, Koteshwor, Durbarmarg, Sukedhara, Baneshwor, Balkhu, Babbar Mahal, Sitapaila, Minbhawan, Gatthaghar and Bhotahit are identified as ‘black spots’, according to MTPD. The MTPD said the road accidents have not subsided, instead, they are increasing by leaps and bounds. A majority of those mishaps are attributed largely to reckless and drunken-driving, overloading of vehicles, overspeeding, malfunctioning of vehicles and careless pedestrians.

Meanwhile, MTPD has collected sizeable revenue from those booked for

violating the traffic regulations. The data showed that the traffic police had collected Rs 129, 60,206 during the last one year.

The amount was collected from 162,852 offenders, all from Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. The traffic police have been empowered to slap a fine of up to Rs 5,000 per person depending on the nature of offense.

Similarly, the MTPD had received 1,908 complaints related to motorcycle theft during the same period. The number of mobikes impounded tallied 1,018. During the same period, the traffic police had handed over 361 two-wheelers to their legitimate owners.

Similarly, 261unclaimed motorbikes and 31four-wheelers, many of them without legal documents, were handed over to customs office.