Two persons have been injured after the scooter they were riding on was hit by a truck near Kalanki Chok in Kathmandu. A woman died and her daughter sustained injuries after the scooter they were riding on was hit by a bus in Thasikhel of Lalitpur district in a recent evening.

Police have identified the deceased as rider Sunita Karki (38) and injured and her daughter, pillion rider Sambridhi Karki (12) of Khotang district, currently residing in Lalitpur.

The mother and daughter duo were riding on the scooter (Ba 75 Pa 5647) when the bus (Ba 1 Ka 9254) hit them at 6:30 pm yesterday, injuring both, according to police. Sunita breathed her last at 2:00 am later during in the course of treatment at B & B Hospital while daughter Sambridhi is undergoing treatment there.

Similarly, Royal Subedi, 18, of Bhaktapur was killed when a tipper hit the motorcycle he was riding pillion in Jadibuti. Aman Dhungel, 18, the rider was injured and is undergoing treatment at the National Trauma Centre. Police have arrested the tipper driver.

Following a spate of death of bikers and pedestrians knocked down by tippers, the Ministry of Home Affairs has directed all district administration offices in Kathmandu valley and Metropolitan Traffic Police Division to enforce the ban on movements of tippers from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm.

The DAOs and MTPD would make necessary arrangements to prohibit the movement of tippers in major roads, including on and inside the Ring Road, of the valley with effect from July 17. After the rule is enforced, they will be allowed to ply the valley roads from 8:00 pm to 5:00 am only.

According to statistics released by MTPD, as many as 108 cases of road accidents were recorded during the period of June 15 to July 11, and tippers were involved in 40 of the accidents.

As many as seven persons have been killed by tipper-hit in the valley in the past one and a half months. Water tankers and tippers account for nearly 30 per cent of accidents due to negligence, speeding and non-compliance with traffic rules.

The victims of accidents caused by tippers and water tankers are motorcycle and scooter riders, and pedestrian, traffic police said.

As Nepal’s road is turning to a killing field, this step alone is not enough to prevent accidents. There is also the need to take steps to regulate the bikers.