As the festive season is around the corner, Nepal Traffic Police has announced special arrangements to manage the traffic in Kathmandu Valley and prevent road accidents during Dashain, Tihar and Chhath in a systematic manner.
The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division in-charge, SSP Janak Bhattarai, said the cops will be deployed in uniform and civil dress with breathalyzers, inside and outside the Ring Road in more than 65 places, to catch anyone driving under the influence.
Bhattarai informed that traffic cops would conduct regular and surprise alcohol meter tests on drivers, particularly targeting long-route buses as people are expected to leave the valley for their home to celebrate Dashain.
“We are working to reduce road accident deaths to zero in the valley during the festivals,” he said.
SSP Bhattarai also informed that traffic police would establish passenger help desks in 14 places of Kathmandu Valley to enforce traffic rules, facilitate travelers and to take action against crooked transport entrepreneurs.
Traffic offenses increase during the festive season with increased road accidents and hiked public vehicle fares.
According to him, the help desks will also assist people in booking and acquiring travel tickets, given the tickets are not sold out. Ticket booking counters have been asked to display bus fares to ensure transparency.
Help desks will also warn ticket booking clerks against possible incidents of double-ticketing, blackmailing, overcharging and selling tickets in black. Officials deployed at help desks will arrest and take action against those involved in fraudulent activities.
Officials have made it compulsory for ticketing clerks to wear ID cards to ensure that ‘frauds do not get to cheat passengers in the name of making tickets available at a cheaper rate’. Officials have appealed all to take precautions and lodge complaints at help desks if they face any problem.
For the safety of the commuters, the government requires transporter entrepreneurs to have two drivers in each vehicle that ply the routes that are longer than 250-km to prevent road accidents due to exhaustion.
