To make the four-lane road between Bhutan Telecom and Jungshina Bridge safer, the Thimphu police have started penalising motorists violating traffic rules. The move was put in place five days ago. Speeding cars and increasing accidents along the stretch became a worry for both commuters and people living nearby. The traffic police in Thimphu recorded 13 cases of motor vehicle accidents since November.
With the road now widened and blacktopped, most vehicles are seen overspeeding.
After the police started monitoring the vehicle’s speed, 36 defaulters were fined for overspeeding. Over speeding was also the main cause of accidents along the stretch. Six accidents were caused by overspeeding. The police say the speed limit along this road is 50 kmph.
“According to our research, all of the accidents that occurred here were caused by human error. Until now, we have maintained our traffic police on duty 24 hours to keep an eye on the stretch and raise awareness. However, we have now begun to penalise them. The majority of drivers adhere to traffic laws, but there are a few who do not,” said Chencho Gyeltshen, Officer Commanding of Traffic Division, RBP.
A sudden change of lane, drink driving and unlicensed driving were some of the other causes of accidents. According to the RSTA, drivers are also not aware of road markings.
“There are generally two yellow continuous lines which mean straddling is not allowed and even at locations where there are continuous lane separators, straddling is not allowed. So, motorists need to know these basic road markings and what they imply and act accordingly to drive safely for their safety as well as safety of other road users,” said Prem P Adhikari, Chief RTO, RSTA.
The Thimphu Thromde also plans to install CCTV cameras, speed limit signs and speed breakers along the stretch.
Every day, around 6,000 vehicles drive through this three-kilometre road.
Pema Seldon Tshering
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
