This story was translated from Nepali. Read the original in Nepali
Deukhuri. Traffic on the roads has started to grow as the festivals approach. Since more passengers on the move also means a higher risk of road accidents, special surveillance targeting drivers and ‘lapase’ checks (for drunk and drugged driving) have begun in Lamahi, Dang. The Ward Police Office, Lamahi, and the temporary traffic police post in Lamahi on the East–West Mahendra Highway have stepped up special surveillance to reduce possible road accidents during the festivals. On Thursday, lapase checks were carried out in front of the Biodiversity Green Park in Lamahi, using ‘THC kits’ to test whether drivers had been driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In the first round, 15 drivers of small and large vehicles were tested and all results came back negative, said Tirtha Bhusal, chief of the temporary traffic post in Lamahi. According to him, the condition of drivers and vehicles and road safety have been given special priority, as long-distance vehicles and passenger numbers rise during the festivals. He said such tests will continue regularly to discourage driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Awareness alongside testing to prevent accidents
The organisers said the lapase checks are not only aimed at taking action against drivers but are also being run as a campaign to make drivers and passengers aware of road safety. The campaign, launched jointly by the Ward Police Office Lamahi, the temporary traffic police post Lamahi and Lamahi JCI, received technical support from Lamahi Hospital. Participants stressed that, as traffic grows during the festivals, drivers must drive with restraint and driving after consuming alcohol or drugs must stop completely. The programme began with a welcome speech by coordinator Shambhu GC and was facilitated by Keshav Sharma.
‘Festivals are for joy, not for risk’
Lamahi JCI president Jayaprakash Paudel said the campaign is being run in cooperation with the police and traffic police to reduce accidents, as traffic on the roads rises during the festivals. ‘Our main aim is for everyone to reach their destination safely during the festivals,’ he said. ‘Drivers must not drive after consuming alcohol or drugs. A small careless act by one driver can put many lives at risk.’ According to him, taking precautions so that accidents do not happen at all matters more than rescue and treatment after an accident. That is why, he said, awareness about road safety and responsible driving needs to be spread alongside lapase testing.
‘Let’s follow the rules and travel safely’
Ramesh Timilsina, police chief at the Ward Police Office Lamahi, said surveillance on the highway has been increased with reducing accidents during the festivals as a priority. He urged drivers not to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, speed, carry more passengers than capacity or break traffic rules. ‘The most important thing on the road is human life. Drivers must take care not only of their own safety but also of the passengers in their vehicle and others walking on the road,’ he said. According to him, as passenger numbers rise during the festivals, monitoring of vehicle condition and driver behaviour will be made even stricter.
A safety message from in front of the Green Park
The lapase testing in front of Lamahi’s Biodiversity Green Park has also tried to connect the road safety campaign with the community. Pawan Sharma Rijal, chair of the Ajammari Community Forest Users Group, said road safety is not only the responsibility of the police and traffic police but a shared duty of all citizens. ‘Along with the recreation of people who come to the Green Park, their safe travel is also important. Everyone wants people who leave home during the festivals to return safely. For that, drivers, passengers and the general public must all do their part,’ Rijal said. He stressed that such awareness programmes should continue in busy highway areas like Lamahi.
One test, safety for many
Road accidents during the festivals can be linked to causes such as speeding, driver carelessness, alcohol consumption, poor vehicle condition and breaking traffic rules. That is why security agencies believe it is more effective to identify and control risks before accidents happen than to rush to rescue afterwards. The lapase checks begun in Lamahi are one such precaution. Although the negative results for all 15 drivers tested on the first day are a positive sign, the real aim of the campaign is not just to show someone guilty in a test but to get the message ‘do not drive after consuming alcohol or drugs’ across to drivers and the public. Amid the crowds and traffic that grow on the roads along with the festive cheer, one small precaution can prevent a big accident. If police surveillance is matched by drivers’ responsibility and passengers’ awareness, it could make an important contribution to reducing possible accidents on the East–West Highway through Lamahi.
