Two-wheelers involved in 56.49pc road accidents in Kathmandu valley

Kathmandu, February 4

Two-wheelers are involved in most of the road accidents and have claimed most lives in the last five years inside Kathmandu valley.

As per records with Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, a total of 46,349 road accidents were recorded in the last five years inside the valley. Of the total road accidents, two-wheelers were involved in 26,184 accidents, approximately 56.49 per cent.

A total of 779 people lost lives in road accidents in the last five years inside Kathmandu valley. Of which 260 people died in two-wheeler accidents.

After two-wheelers, bus accidents are second on the list. A total of 36 people have died in 5,382 bus accidents in the last five years. If the ratio of accidents and deaths is compared, one person loss life in every 100 two-wheeler accidents, whereas one person loses life in every 150 bus accidents.

A total of 2,188 two-wheeler accidents were recorded in the past six months of the current fiscal, while 719 bus accidents and 668 truck/tipper accidents were recorded in the time period. As many as 43 riders or pillion riders lost their lives in two-wheeler accidents in the last six months, whereas 10 passengers, including drivers, lost their lives in bus and truck accidents.

Superintendent of Police Jay Raj Sapkota at MTPD said until and unless the riders themselves became aware of the risks  associated with the two-wheelers, such accidents could not be controlled.

“We have done our best to control road accidents, each of our traffic police works for at least 10 hours a day to manage traffic and control accidents. It is high time the riders and pedestrians started following traffic rules,” he said.

According to SP Sapkota, drunk driving, speeding, overtaking from the wrong side and violating lane discipline are some of the major reasons for increasing bike-accidents inside the valley. Poor condition of roads and lack of road infrastructure have also contributed to increasing road accidents inside the valley.