Kathmandu, March 29, 2012:  The Nepal Government has decided to reward 15 percent of the total revenue collected against the Drink and Drive campaign to Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) as a reward in recognition for their hard work. The decision was made by the cabinet held at Singhadurbar on Thursday.

From December 1 last year till now, the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) has generated revenue of more than NRs 59 million, of which NRs 13 million comes from 15,793 drunken driver, seat belt defaulter have numbered 18,404, 2,949 jaywalkers and 640 school buses violating traffic rules.

Prakash  Thapa an activist said,  “It’s a wrong decision made by the government. From the past decade, the traffic police have been using this rule for its income generation where the main role of the traffic police is to prohibit general public from making mistakes and with this rule, they would want to catch public making mistakes. On contrary the government is indirectly pressuring the public to make mistake through the help of Traffic Police. Why would a traffic police personnel stop a person from making mistake? He would want that person to make mistake and get some percentage out of it? In reality with decisions like these, the traffic police personnel are more motivated to catch people making mistakes then to aware and to prohibit people from making mistakes. I believe the police personnel should receive more salary where the Hom Ministry and the related departments should work towards it then to follow such decisions that are absurd and Controversial.”

Moreover, with the introduction of breathalyzers the Nepal traffic Police further faces problems with maintaining the hygiene and health consequences. With limited resources and lack of understanding, the traffic police are further being scrutinized for maintaining the hygiene of the breathalyzers. People are scared of being tested in breathalyzers with high risks of getting transferable diseases.