KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 20
Traffic cops have taken action against the drivers of nine vehicles for operating mechanically unfit four-wheelers.
According to Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, special mechanical test was conducted with the help of technical officers to ensure the fitness of vehicles plying in Kirtipur yesterday. Of the 80 vehicles that underwent mechanical test, nine failed to go through the prescribed standards.
Senior Superintendent of Police Rajendra Prasad Bhatta said the vehicles were found to be operating without proper maintenance. The condition of brakes, lights, tyres and other vital parts of the vehicles were in bad shape.
The vehicles booked by traffic police include pickup vans, tippers, jeeps and buses. Traffic police have taken hold of the blue books of the faulty vehicles.
SSP Bhatta informed that the documents would be returned to the respective drivers or owners after the vehicles were repaired and maintained.
A technical team from the Department of Transport Management has also been cooperating with traffic police in checking the condition of vehicles.
The authorities possess special machines and devices to test the mechanical fitness of vehicles. Tyres, brakes, steering, engine, windshield wipers, light, among others, should be in right condition to prevent accidents triggered by mechanical failure.
According to the KVTPO, mechanically unfit vehicles have been posing threat to road safety. They often cause traffic hurdles and serious accidents on the road. It has been observed that brake failure, tyre bursting and other mechanical faults of the vehicles are the causes of many serious accidents.
Traffic police have stepped up fitness test in Kathmandu Valley as a campaign. More than 1,200 mechanically unfit vehicles have been brought to book in the past few months. Various factors are attributed to road accidents. Of them, poor mechanical condition is considered a major factor. According to the KVTPO, malfunction in a component of the vehicle can lead to crash, putting the lives of both the drivers and other road users at risk.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 21, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
