KATHMANDU, July 28: Amid growing concerns over road accidents and fatalities across the country, the Kathmandu Valley has seen a decline in road incidents in recent years.

According to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, the number of accidents decreased by 16.8 percent, and human fatalities fell by 6 percent compared to the previous fiscal year.

SP Bishwaraj Khadka reported that 177 people died in 8,881 road accidents in FY 2023/24, while 187 people died in 10,675 road accidents in the previous fiscal year. In FY 2022/23, 191 people lost their lives in 10,733 road accidents.

SP Khadka attributed the reduction in road accidents to various factors, including public awareness programs, strict security checks, and various traffic campaigns, which, he argued, made traffic management more effective.

Plans to enhance traffic management to further reduce road accidents have been proposed for the current fiscal year. Public awareness programs encouraged road users to comply with traffic rules and take road safety seriously. These campaigns have directly benefited 477,303 people so far, said SP Khadka.

Office Chief SSP Jivan Kumar Shrestha added that the campaigns also helped reduce road accidents caused by driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotic drugs, non-compliance with lane discipline, and over-speeding. Traffic police took action against over one million traffic rule violators, collecting over Rs 720 million in fines.

Regular patrols are conducted in inner streets, narrow roads, and river corridors, while traffic beats have been expanded in several places, SSP Shrestha noted. -- RSS