Time card system to be enforced to prevent road accidents during festival period

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 25 : The government is to enforce a 'time card' system in public transport operating on long routes in a bid to prevent accidents and for efficient traffic management during the festival period. The biggest festivals of Nepalis - Dashain, Tihar and Chhath- are only a week away. They together last for about a month. A meeting of the committee formed for this purpose yterdy took a decision in this connection. It is said the time card system is also being enforced with a view to discouraging the tendency of driving at high speed to reach the destination earlier.

The committee made 14 various decisions including implementing the time card by identifying places on the highway in coordination with Nepal Police, the Department of Transport Management and the transport entrepreneurs. The meeting was chaired by the Home Ministry spokesperson and the committee coordinator Phanindra Mani Pokharel. It decided to strictly prohibit traveling on roofs of buses or vehicles or hanging. The committee will also carry out monitoring as needed for preventing drunk driving.

The committee took a decision requiring every public transportation vehicle to keep a first aid kit, stickers with a police hotline contact number, a signal object and make arrangements for sanitizing the vehicle. Likewise, the committee decided to make public the phone number for passengers to complain in case the driver drives the vehicle in an unusual manner and to arrange to direct all the police units to immediately mobilize after getting such a complaint.

As per the information shared by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department of Transport Management will make arrangements for conducting mechanical checks at the main places in the Kathmandu Valley on vehicles operating on the medium and long routes beginning September 25. This would be conducted in coordination with the authorized seller, the Traffic Police, and the transport entrepreneurs. A decision has been taken requiring the transport entrepreneurs federation will assign a contact person in every province and district for the smooth operation of vehicles and provide his/her phone number to Nepal Police.

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