Leaders express concern about road accidents, but do they mean it?

Published On: August 29, 2016 12:30 AM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


KATHMANDU, Aug 29: Political leaders from different parties express 'serious concern' when people lose their lives in road accidents. But people hardly believe that they are serious enough to reform the transport sector.

The incident repeated once again on Sunday. In a tweet related to the road accident in Arghakhanchi that claimed 11 lives, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal tweeted: “It has become a must to take stringent action to stop road accidents. Arghakhanchi incident has made [us] more serious.

Tribute to all those who lost their lives in the accident.”

Twitteraties reacted fiercely to his tweet. Many were of the opinion that exploitative transport syndicates have been protected by political parties and leaders including the ruling parties. Most of the Twitteraties challenged the PM to destroy the nexus between transport syndicates and political leaders.

Tweeples also reacted in the same manner to the tweet posted by Nepal Congress leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat. Dr Mahat had tweeted that the issue [of road accidents] must be taken as an 'extreme serious national problem'. Reacting to his tweet, a twitter user Chandra Shekhar replied: first of all end political patronage to these syndicate then talk.

After a bus fell into Trishuli river killing at least 22 people on Friday, CPN-UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai tweeted saying:  “It's too much. Roads are too insecure. Let's do something [to stop them].”

In a response to Bhattarai's tweet and tweets by other leaders, columnist Bibek Paudel wrote: “Finally politicians are concerned about the loss. Their accumulated mistakes over the years have cost us so many lives and so much time. How much must we lose before they do actually start to do something?”

Many social media users blamed politicians for backing syndicate and cartel that are rampant in transport sector. 


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