Kathmandu, September 22
Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker Ashish Gajurel has called for providing psychological training to drivers.
Speaking at a meeting of the House of Representatives, Gajurel, who said he had studied transport engineering, said drivers needed psychological knowledge, referring to Monday’s incident in Tripureshwor.
He said the subject of transport and psychology was given significant priority during his university studies, particularly the psychological aspects that drivers should understand.
Referring to practices in developed countries, he said significant investment was made in public awareness programmes and in efforts to have a positive impact on drivers’ psychological well-being. Such initiatives, he said, were not visible in Nepal.
He also said traffic management in developed countries relied heavily on technology, with fewer traffic police required on the roads.
“Currently, around 1.3 to 1.4 million vehicles are operating in Kathmandu alone, while there are not even 1,000 traffic police to manage them,” he said. “Drivers appear to use the roads fearing that they might be penalised, while traffic police are also under pressure to manage transportation by working around the clock.”
Gajurel said the government also needed to reconsider its approach to enforcement.
He said the government appeared to prioritise imposing penalties and fines and taking action against traffic violations as a means of reducing road accidents and making traffic management easier.
“Where are the public awareness programmes? Where are the classes to provide psychological knowledge to drivers?” he said.
He also said regulations prohibit drivers from driving for more than six hours a day, but the provision has not been effectively implemented.
In such circumstances, he said, road safety and safe travel could not be ensured through enforcement alone.
