LUMBINI, July 21: A total of 506 people lost their lives in road accidents in Lumbini Province during the last fiscal year, which is an increase compared to the previous year. According to the Nepal Police Highway Safety and Traffic Management Office, Butwal, 496 people had died in road accidents in the fiscal year 2023/24.
A total of 3,479 road accidents occurred in the fiscal year 2024/25 , injuring 5,691 people. Despite intensified vehicle checks and actions by the traffic police, road accident cases increased, said the Butwal Traffic Office.
In the previous year (2023/24), 1,120 road accidents were recorded with 1,693 people injured. According to Senior Superintendent of Police Mitrabandhu Sharma, unlike in the past when only medium and serious accidents were recorded, this year even minor accidents were included in the data, which is why the total number appears higher.
When will it end?
Over the year, the province collected Rs 178.383 million in fines from drivers who violated traffic rules. This amount was gathered from 170,080 vehicles caught violating rules in all 12 districts under the supervision of the Butwal Traffic Office.
Compared to the previous fiscal year, the fine amount increased by Rs 4.145 million. In 2023/24, a total of Rs 174.237 million in fines had been collected.
“Even though the fine collection rose in 2024/25, the number of vehicles penalized was lower than in 2023/24. There was a decline of 63,016 vehicles. In 2023/24, 233,096 vehicles had been penalized, whereas the number dropped to 170,080 in 2024/25,” said SSP Sharma.
According to him, although the number of penalized vehicles decreased, the fine amount increased. Rupandehi recorded the highest number of penalized vehicles at 50,441, resulting in a total fine collection of Rs 60.849 million.
In Rupandehi alone, Rs 11.887 million was collected by the Butwal Traffic Office, and Rs 48.962 million was collected by the District Traffic Police Office, Rupandehi.
Similarly, in Banke, fines from 37,435 vehicles totaled Rs 30.027 million. In Dang, 21,590 vehicles were fined, collecting Rs 23.160 million. In Kapilvastu, Rs 14.550 million was collected from 13,561 vehicles. In West Nawalparasi, 8,300 vehicles were fined, collecting Rs 10.060 million.
