KATHMANDU: The Bagmati Province government reaffirmed its commitment to expand trauma services at public hospitals, strengthen trauma centre capacity and introduce necessary legal and policy reforms to ensure timely treatment for road accident victims.

Province’s Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya made the pledge during a meeting with a delegation led by Nepal National Federation of Transport Entrepreneurs Chairperson Saroj Sitoula here today.

During the meeting, CM Baniya asserted that the provincial government is ready to adopt all necessary measures to improve post-accident medical care and ensure fair compensation for families of those killed.

The CM also expressed willingness on the part of the provincial government to coordinate with relevant agencies and transport operators to address long-standing challenges in the public transport sector.

He vowed to take legal and policy initiatives towards ensuring primary healthcare to road accident victims in public health facilities.

CM Baniya said that Bagmati Province is home to the federal capital and the province handles more than 60 percent of the country’s vehicular traffic.

He reiterated the provincial government’s commitment to improve traffic management, minimize road accidents and ensure the safe movement of passengers.

During the meeting, transport entrepreneurs raised concerns over increasing traffic congestion, compensation procedures and the limited insurance coverage of up to Rs 300,000 for treatment, which, they commented, often falls short of private hospital costs.

They called for effective traffic management, improvement in the treatment system of the road accident victims and simplifying compensation distribution process, among others.

They also urged the government to promote GPS tracking, online ticketing, CCTV installation and other technology-based reforms to improve the safety and efficiency of public transport.

The transport entrepreneurs expressed their confidence that once the effective traffic management is in place, the treatment and compensation procedures after road accidents are improved, the public transport service would be safer, reliable and more effective.