Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police took action against 18 public vehicle drivers for driving after consuming alcohol or drugs during special traffic checks across the Valley from Ghatasthapana on Asoj 25 through the evening of Asoj 27, the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office said. The checks were conducted ahead of the Dashain and Tihar festivals, and drivers were detained and penalised at various locations.
Festival-period checks target impaired driving
The operation focused on two forms of impaired driving: maapase, or driving after consuming alcohol, and laapase, or driving under the influence of drugs. The 18 drivers identified in the special action were driving public vehicles, according to the information provided by the Traffic Police Office.
The checks began on Ghatasthapana, the first day of Dashain, and continued until the evening of Asoj 27. Police carried out enforcement at different locations across the Kathmandu Valley during that period. The office said the action was part of traffic checks organised in view of the Dashain and Tihar festivals.
The reported action against 18 public vehicle drivers is separate from broader figures published for the same period. One report said traffic police took action against 149 drivers for drunk driving and nine drivers for driving public vehicles under the influence of drugs. Those figures cover different enforcement categories and should not be confused with the 18 drivers cited in the report about public vehicle operators caught after consuming alcohol or drugs.
Different figures reflect separate enforcement categories
The reports describe enforcement under both alcohol-related and drug-related offences, but the available information does not give a further breakdown of the 18 cases between maapase and laapase. It also does not specify how many of the 18 were detained at each location or how the penalties were divided between the two offences.
The wider figures indicate that the checks addressed drunk driving among drivers generally as well as drug use by public vehicle drivers. The reported 149 drunk-driving cases and nine drug-driving cases involving public vehicles are totals for the same period, while the 18 figure concerns public vehicle drivers reported as facing action for driving after consuming alcohol or drugs. No additional details on individual cases were provided.
The traffic operation took place as the Valley entered the busy festival period. Dashain and Tihar bring a period of heightened travel, and the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office said the special checks were conducted with those festivals in view. The enforcement covered multiple locations across the Valley rather than a single checkpoint.
The figures released so far provide a snapshot of action taken between Asoj 25 and the evening of Asoj 27. They do not include information about the total number of vehicles checked, the exact locations of the enforcement points, or any further action taken in individual cases. The Traffic Police Office’s reported figures distinguish between the 18 public vehicle drivers facing action in the headline cases and the wider totals reported for drunk driving and drug use.
