Dadeldhura: Lack of adequate quota for traffic cops has been attributed to the increasing number of road accidents in the far western region.

Traffic police personnel are burdened with extra responsibilities in managing traffic for want of adequate manpower.

Though the far-west has quota of 133 traffic police personnel in nine districts of the region, 149 personnel, including some on periodic service are stationed at various places in the region.

SP Ramesh Thapa, of the Regional Traffic Police Office, Attariya, said that they were in dire need of additional traffic police personnel to manage the heavy traffic in the region.

Currently, a single traffic cop has to cover 35 kilometres of road and manage as many as 508 vehicles, which they say is a tough job.

As many as 346 persons have lost their lives in various road accidents in nine districts of the region in the last three years.

The number of injured in such accidents is three times the death toll, according to statistics.