Neupane-ji, I have had to travel (often by bus) along that route (Dhangadhi-- Baitadi/Darchula) numerous times, and I remember that each trip used to be emotionally taxing (added by the Dotel songs played on the bus that often told of tragedies). I remember a couple times I took the night bus, just so to avoid having to see the danger outside. One consistency I noticed though was that the buses used on that route were customized to suit the road. For example, they were much shorter than the buses I had seen in the "East", as they called, padded with extra shock-absorbing equipment, and always in very very good condition. Ashu-ji's article was good. I agree that the number of accidents could be decreased with effective educational and regulatory measures. However, our roads are bad to start with. I don't think most of our roads (even those built recently) meet the safety standards usually required in more developed countries. One question I have is why a bus owner might object to stricter safety regulations. Doesn't an owner lose when her/his vehicle plummets into Trishuli? If so, would it not be in her/his interest to support the regulations? Particularly, the way it works in Nepal, where each time there's an increase in the cost, the bus fare is easily raised to compensate, ultimately making the passengers pay?