Travel Safety

Dashain, the great festival of Nepalis, has already commenced but celebratory mood of many people has been dampened by a natural calamity that recently hammered different parts of the country. The unexpected disaster, triggered by incessant rainfall, floods and landslides, took 239 lives and injured 177 people, prompting the government to announce the national mourning for three days in the memory of the deceased. The destruction of highways, roads, bridges, private houses, land and other properties left hundreds of people high and dry. The state agencies were not prepared to tackle the natural disaster of this scale and now they are making every effort to effectively handle the post-disaster relief and rehabilitation works. 

Trauma and agony that the near and dear ones of the deceased are reeling from is quite unbearable. The loss of private properties has plunged the victims into bottomless misery on the eve of the major festivals. This sort of tragedy does not only torment the victims but also the community in which they are living like a family member. Many villages where the floods and landslides wreaked havoc are now wearing a deserted look. A feeling of intense despair have swept them. In such a condition, the affected people find it difficult to cheer during the Dashain festival that naturally evokes a feeling of joy and warmth of reunion. And those, who have to go outside the Kathmandu Valley to celebrate the festival with family members, are likely to go through horrifying experiences as roads and highways have been blocked due to floods and landslides at many places.    

The BP Highway that connects the capital city with the southern plains and eastern parts of Nepal has come to a grinding halt in four separate places. The authorities are trying to find alternative road to ferry the people ahead of big festival. Now the travellers have felt a respite as the Kathmandu-Mugling road, the economic lifeline for millions of people, has resumed traffic movement, with the improvement of weather. People are making a beeline to buy tickets at the New Bus Park and various ticket counters. During the Dashain, there is heavy traffic rush in the highways. Travelling by bus is often fraught with risks of accidents owing to the dilapidated conditions of roads, particularly in the hills and mountains, reckless driving and carrying passengers beyond their capacity, among others. 

Recent floods and landslides have incurred significant damage to the road infrastructures. This is a reason why the number of people going outside the Valley will decline remarkably. Earlier, the transport entrepreneurs expected that 1.8 million people will leave Valley to celebrate festivals in their hometowns. It is a matter of serious concern that the human casualties due to the road accidents have increased at an alarming rate. The government allocates around 20 per cent of total budget to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the sole agency to construct, repair and monitor highways, roads and bridges. There are a number of agencies involved for the road safety but no single body is held accountable to the tragic road accidents. Experts suggest that the government should formulate dedicated road safety Act and a national road safety council to look at all safety related issues. The council should be authorised to pursue road safety measures through transparent and accountable governance system. After all, it is the right of all passengers to reach their destinations safely.