A recent car crash involving a governmental vehicle in Bhungkhani, Ward No: 2 of Galkot Municipality, Baglung, has taken away the three precious lives of human beings, which has sensationalized the whole area. Another life was also lost in a tragic accident early this morning as another one was left critically injured; all these are happening on the road, causing concern about road safety in the area. The victims of the accident were in an official car, one of the victims is a subchief of the local government.
Of the victims, Bhupendra Budha Magar from Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality of Rukum East is serving as the vice-chairperson. Magar’s death has been saddened by the people of both Baglung and Rukum East, where he served to the fullest in public service. The absence of such a strong local personality has raised people’s concerns and stunned many about insecurity, especially when government officials are on official duty.
As for the cause of the accident, still there are some questions, but now it is known that most likely the difficult road conditions contributed to it. Again Baglung has mountainous and hilly geographical features that make driving particularly difficult especially in case of unfavourable weather conditions. The local authorities are still to ascertain the precise details that led to this calamity in order to allow the affected party to seek justice.
The critically injured survivor has been taken to the hospital close to the scene to be treated. Doctors and nurses are doing all that it takes to attend to the clients and the authorities have endeavored to ensure that health care facilities give their absolute best. The community has come out in support of the affected families and the people who were inarty in accidents of this nature.
Again, this accident brought out the issue of allowable road construction across the country, particularly in rural areas of Nepal. What concerns the roads themselves, many local residents have always pointed to inadequate repair and the absence of such facilities as guardrails and signs. The event has elicited concern and demand for action on measures in the promotion of adequate road safety, especially on roads that agents of the government often use.
The local authorities are under increasing pressure to address those concerns and to establish more stringent rules for business and official trips. There are considerations regarding compulsory extra safety classes for drivers of vehicles belonging to the government and holding routine mechanical checks on vehicles. Some of the community leaders are also demanding that the authorities provide fitter passenger cars that could maneuver through the rough terrains of the region.
They have also brought the problem concerning road safety into the limelight in Nepal. As it will be seen from the statistics presented in section 3, road accidents continue to rank among the most frequent causes of accidental fatalities in the country. This event should be a wakeup call to all policy makers at various centers of governance to increase their efforts to embrace the road safety reforms in a more holistic manner.
Given the development of the event, different people and organizations are extending their sympathies. Indeed, through condolences and contributions towards the bereaved families, political leaders, civil society organizations, and ordinary citizens are coming forward with messages of support. Many people have empathized with such losses because the death of a well-respected public figure like Vice-chairperson Magar has occurred.
As a result of the accident, the county safety officials have come up with a safety study of all the major roads in the County. This is the goal of this initiative as it seeks to discover areas that are most likely to contribute to the occurrence of safety hazards and then take steps to rectify this. Also, negotiations are being made to begin the implementation of a road safety promotion campaign for both drivers and pedestrians, mainly in mountainous areas.
The accident has also led to debate the organization of emergency services in rural areas. Although first respondents in this case responded appropriately, there is a lack or concern in the overall preparedness of handling such incidences in such regions. Chiefs are now looking at ways of improving emergency services with an eye to setting more medical posts in strategic areas in the highway.
