More than 21,000 killed in road accidents in nine years, the state is least bothered

When a passenger bus travelling from Pokhara to Kathmandu plunged 200 metres off the road in Benighat Rorang, Dhading, on February 24, 19 people were killed. The home ministry formed a task force to investigate the crash. The task force concluded that driver fatigue had caused the accident, as the driver had been unable to maintain control of the vehicle.

It recommended introducing a system to manage driver fatigue, setting maximum working hours for drivers on night services and making rest breaks compulsory. It also called for digital monitoring of public vehicles, improvements to road safety infrastructure, closer monitoring of night-time travel, and the installation of cameras and tracking systems in public transport. Nearly two months later, on April 30, a vehicle travelling from Rukum East towards Jaljala in Rolpa crashed, killing 20 people.

The home ministry again formed an inquiry committee. Although the committee submitted its report, its findings were not made public.