Exhausted by all day and night driving? No worries. The government is rolling up its sleeves to construct rest areas with the aim of minimizing road accidents which are partly blamed on physical conditions of drivers.
According to a survey, drivers deal with various mental problems caused by different reasons including sleep deprivation and tiresome due to long and continuous driving hours.
The total 14 places will have a rest stop along highways in all seven provinces. This 82-point home administration reformation plan issued by Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and the 10-point plan issued to make police department strong and credible also prioritize the idea of building a resting place.
A rest area will be built three places in Province 2, one in Province 6, and two each in other five provinces.
Kateni road of Ilam in Province 1, Tathalaiya of Bara, Lalgadh of Dhanusa and Shambhunath of Saptari in Province 2, Majhimtar of Dhading in Province 3 will have a rest stop each.
Likewise, Dulegauda of Tanahun in Province 4, Basgadhi of Bardiya in Province 5 and Budhar of Doti in Province 7 will house a rest area each. The government has released Rs 450,000 for the construction of each rest stop.
According to the police headquarters, rest areas have come into operation in six places including in Koshi Katan of Sunsari in Province 1, Khurkot of Sindhuli in Province 3, Kawasoti of Nawalparasi in Province 4, Lamahi of Dang in Province 5, Chhinchu of Surkhet in Province 6 and Ghodaghodi of Kailali in Province 7.
Traffic police and police have been deployed to the places having a rest stop, said the police. A rest stop will have a room for making drivers, their helpers aware of traffic rules, a cooking room for drivers and helpers, a water tap and a toilet. A rest areas in Province 1 have been fitted with CCTV cameras.
A traffic awareness program will be launched for drivers, helpers and passengers of each passenger bus for five to 15 minutes, said Superintendent of Police Janak Bhattarai.
"Sleep deprived drivers may sleep while driving, which may cause accidents. So the drive is to reduce road accidents caused due to poor health of drivers," said Senior Superintendent of Police Shailesh Thapa, who is also spokesperson for Nepal Police.
The campaign will expand to across the country in the days to come, he added.
The National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs, a body working for the welfare of transport entrepreneurs, has lauded the move. "The Federation has been for long raising the issue of building a rest area for drivers, which has been addressed now. The effort is laudable," said General Secretary of the Federation Saroj Sitaula.
