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‘Killer’ bus mows down DSP’s father
KATHMANDU, AUG 16 -
Buses operated by Swoyambhu Yatayat have become notorious for their killing spree. On Monday, one of these buses struck again — knocking down an elderly pedestrian and killing him in the process.
The accident occurred near Sukedhara area at around 4.45 a.m. when the roads were otherwise deserted. The bus of Swoyambhu Yatayat — which has been nicknamed Pashupati Yatayat due to its poor traffic record — hit 73-year-old Rom Harsha Acharya, father of DSP Lalmani Acharya at the Metropolitan Police Range Hanumandhoka, just as he was crossing the road. DSP Deepak Thapa said Acharya was jogging in the area when the killer bus speeding toward Chabahil from Maharajgunj struck.
Police rushed the critically injured and unconscious Acharya to OM Hospital at Chabahil where doctors referred him to the Bansbari-based Institute of Neurological and Allied Sciences. Police said Acharya succumbed to his injuries at noon while undergoing treatment. “The accident occurred due to rash and negligent driving,” said DSP Thapa. Bus driver Suraj Magar of Dhading - who raced away after hitting Acharya - was handed over to the police by Swoyambhu Yatayat.
12 killed in 12 months
Among the total of road accidents involving heavy vehicles on Ring Road, most of the accidents were caused by buses belonging to Swoyambhu Yatayat. According to DIG Binod Singh, in-charge of the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, 12 people have been killed and scores injured by these killer buses in the last one year.
“Investigation has found that most of the drivers of the Yatayat have never passed the driving test. Their licenses have been found to be fake. It is a serious crime,” said DIG Singh. Traffic police recently confiscated driving licenses from Yatayat’s 33 drivers of which 13 turned out to be forged ones.
Given this bad track record, the traffic police have also been launching awareness and training among its drivers but to no avail. “The number of accidents will not go down unless drivers are made accountable,” said DIG Singh. Overspeeding, recklessness and competition on the part of the drivers are to blame for the frequent accidents, traffic police said.
Posted on: 2010-08-17 08:34
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