KATHMANDU, June 9: Following the latest report that many pedestrians have been killed while crossing the roads in Kathmandu Valley, parliament's Development Committee on Friday asked the government bodies to paint the zebra crossings at intervals of 120 meters within the next 15 days.
The committee meeting held at Singha Durbar stressed that the Department of Roads, Department of Transport Management, Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) and other bodies concerned set out guidelines within the next seven days to paint the zebra crossings at intervals of 120 meters and do the painting within 15 days.
The report prepared by MTPD stated that 301 individuals lost their lives while crossing the road at zebra crossings in the Valley in last five years. This is 40.78 percent of the total human casualty in road accidents over the same period. .At many places the zebra crossings have faded.
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According to MTPD officials, poor road infrastructure, encroachment of footpaths, haphazard parking, lack of public awareness of road safety, rush of vehicles and haste by pedestrians crossing the road are among the major reasons behind the increasing number of traffic accidents in the Valley.
The committee also asked the bodies concerned to do something about VIPs who break the traffic rules. MTPD reports that traffic rule violations by VIP vehicles and white and yellow (government) number-plate vehicles are a challenge to road safety.
The committee also directed that street lamps be repaired and the foreign embassies in the capital approached about the construction of pavements along their premises.
At the meeting, IGP Prakash Aryal demanded that lawmakers increase the fines for traffic rule violators to make them more careful the next time.
