Kathmandu, Mar. 18: Pedestrians are seen crossing the roads wherever they feel comfortable rather than from zebra crossings or overhead bridges.
According to the Traffic Police, there is no law to fine a pedestrian. In 2017, Kathmandu Valley’s Traffic Police had started taking fine of Rs. 200 to Rs. 1,000 under Section 160 (3) of the Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act, 1993, along with a two-hour awareness lesson on road discipline. However, the step couldn’t continue for more than a couple of days with the criticism from public.
In the press release of KVTPO, 40 pedestrians have died in less than 9 months of the current fiscal year 2022/23 and 58 had died in 2021/22 in road accidents within the valley.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajendra Prasad Bhatta said that 637 careless pedestrians were made aware of the risks on the campaign’s first day on Wednesday. According to officers, bicyclists also ignore traffic rules as there is no provision to penalize them. 193 bicyclists too were educated regarding the importance of following traffic rules on that day.
