Nepali Youth Create AI Detection System For Road Safety, Ease Traffic Management
मंसिर १०, २०८२ १७:३३
Kathmandu: Tea shops, restaurants, and co-working spaces in Kathmandu. The youth of ‘Sadak Sathi’ meet wherever they can and discuss how to use information technology to make road travel safer. They work to solve the problems identified through these discussions. Three months ago, they built a prototype of the ‘Neo Enmoli Detection System’ to make roads safer. Then, they showed the prototype to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office and the Nepal Police.
The traffic police have installed the ‘Automatic Number Plate Recognition System With Detection’ (ANPR camera) to detect vehicle speed on some roads in Kathmandu, including Koteshwor. But Nipun Neupane (25), co-founder of Sadak Sathi, says there are other causes of vehicle accidents.
“It is possible to analyze traffic errors such as lane crossing, stopping in front of zebra crossings, and speeding from CCTV footage installed on the road. We have taken the technology prototype to the police to analyze these errors and take action,” Neupane said.
He claims that if the prototype system is put into practice, traffic police will not need to stay at every intersection with a ‘radar gun’ that measures vehicle speed. “The Nepal Police can use the data held by the Department of Traffic Management to identify vehicle owners. This technology can be linked to the Nagarik app using an API. Then, information about mistakes made by vehicle owners can be provided from the Nagarik app,” he said.
He said that if this system runs, it will be possible to provide services in a transparent manner using less manpower and technology than currently used in traffic management. However, he said that various agencies have been facing problems implementing the model due to internal coordination issues within the Nepal government. He said that there is a plan to show the model to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Law.
He added, “We have tried to provide a solution to the police that can work in an easy, cheap, and transparent manner using technology. It is not that we should be asked to build all the systems according to that model. Nepal Police can entrust any company with the task of developing such a system.” He said that the government should take the initiative and invest in putting the solutions they have proposed into practice.
The Journey of ‘Road Friends’ That Began After Getting Into an Accident Himself
Since his adolescence, he traveled around Nepal on bikes with friends who liked to ride at high speeds and perform stunts. He has also avoided accidents many times while riding carelessly.
In 2022, he had an accident on Bhaktapur Road while riding a bike at high speed. He recalls, “The bike I was riding at 100 km/h hit the back of a scooter. Fortunately, nothing happened to the two people on the scooter. However, my leg was injured. I had to use a crutch to walk for two months.” At that time, he realized that he suffered the accident because of his own mistake. And he started looking into the causes of road accidents.
He says that he started researching how Road Traffic Injury (RTI) occurs and how it can be controlled, and began taking online classes. “Accidents on the road are not only due to speeding. Many other reasons, including lane deviation and parking in the wrong place, can cause accidents.”
Then, he started running an NGO called Sadak Sathi in March 2023 with the aim of helping make roads safer with Prabin Banjade (26). In 2024, he registered the organization and started working. Since then, the organization has been working on social media to raise awareness about road behavior and accidents, present digital solutions for road safety, and provide emergency numbers during road accidents.
There are nine members on the Sadak Sathi board. They have studied subjects such as BSc CSIT, BIM, CA, video editing, and animation. All members work full-time in their fields. In their free time, they raise their voice for digital awareness, rescue, and policy reform through Sadak Sathi. They also take help from friends with IT expertise if they need technical support.
Online Petition to Bring Good Rescuer Laws
Seven to nine people die in road accidents every day in Nepal, experts say. He said, “Road accidents are the most common cause of death in the 5 to 29 age group worldwide.” He has been broadcasting content on Instagram with information about what to do and what not to do on the road, and what to do to avoid accidents.
Meanwhile, Neupane says that people hesitate to rescue accident victims due to fear of legal trouble. He said, “People are reluctant to rescue people in road accidents because they fear that if the injured person dies while trying to rescue them, they will face legal complications, police may need evidence, and they may face financial burdens if they take the person to the hospital.”
He said that the ‘Good Smart Law’ has been implemented worldwide for people who want to rescue with good intentions. He said that he has been advocating since the beginning that a similar ‘Good Smart Law’ should be implemented in Nepal.
In this context, he said that about three months ago, he collaborated with Speak Up Nepal to prepare a petition for the Good Smart Law and submitted it. He said, “There was also going to be a provision for Good Smart in the road safety law. But the process of bringing the law has now stopped after the dissolution of parliament following the Gen-Z movement.”
Preparations to Bring the Road Companion App
Neupane said that preparations are underway to create the Road Companion app to help people behave safely on the road. According to him, the app will be made public in January 2026.
The app includes a feature where users can learn safety information required for a driver’s license by playing a quiz. Preparations are being made to teach traffic rules as well as civic awareness in the app.
A separate ‘blood section’ connects blood donors and those who need blood during accidents.
He said that more than 3,000 emergency numbers, including police, traffic, ambulance, and blood banks, have been collected from across Nepal. Preparations are underway to improve the search feature to make these numbers easier to find and include them in the app.
Similarly, he said that videos teaching subjects such as rescue and first aid during road accidents are being included in the app.
He said that the app will also have a feature to create an ICE card so rescuers can easily get information about the injured person during a road accident. The PDF of the card, which includes information such as blood group, emergency number, disease, or regular medication, will be available in the app. He said that the PDF can be downloaded, filled in, and kept in an easily accessible place in the vehicle.
Neupane said that the ICE card, emergency number, and blood section features available in the app are also available on the website.
पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: मंसिर १०, २०८२ १७:३३
