On March 27, a scooter carrying three individuals crashed into an oncoming bus at Pakaudi bazaar in Bhatarpur Metropolis Ward No. 22, Chitwan. All three died while undergoing treatment at a Bharatpur-based hospital.

On March 19, two people died in separate bike accidents at Kalika Municipality Ward No. 8 and Bharatpur Ward No. 12.

The number of two-wheeler accidents is on a rise in Chitwan of late. In the current fiscal year, 320 road accidents were reported in the district as of March 30, according to the record of the District Traffic Police Office in Chitwan.

Out of a total of 493 vehicles involved in road accidents, 244 were two-wheelers, the data of the office showed.

According to the Provincial Traffic Police Office in Bagmati, 45 traffic police personnel have been deployed in Chitwan to curb the rising number of road accidents.

“Road users violate traffic rules in the absence of traffic police personnel. This is why we have deployed more traffic personnel in Chitwan,” said Daya Krishna Bhatta, police inspector at the District Traffic Police Office. “On the other hand, the poor condition of roads is also one of the main causes behind the rising number of road accidents.”

The roads in eastern Chitwan along the East-West Highway are in a bad condition and in need of expansion and repairs.

“The roads there have narrowed due to the expansion of the bazaar areas. This has led to traffic congestion and an increase in road accidents,” said Bhatta.

Meanwhile, Shantiraj Koirala, superintendent of police and also chief at Provincial Traffic Police Office in Bagmati Province, says one of the main reasons for the rising number of road accidents is the lack of traffic police posts and units in the district.

“We need more traffic posts in Chitwan but we don’t have the resources for it,” Koirala said. “We try to do as many traffic checks as we can but it’s not enough.”

According to Koirala, the district is reporting a rise in two-wheeler and private vehicle accidents of late.

“Drivers themselves should be alert at all times while on the road and strictly follow traffic rules and regulations to minimise the number of road accidents,” he said.

The Provincial Traffic Police Office has also started traffic awareness campaigns in schools as a measure to curb road accidents, Koirala says.