Perils Of Pillion Riding

Most of us have observed that the overall state of road safety in Nepal is far from satisfactory. The situation is particularly concerning for two-wheelers, which are among the riskiest modes of road transport. Some years ago, while travelling through Dhankuta, I noticed a mother riding pillion on a motorcycle, carrying an infant wrapped in her shawl along a hilly road. Watching the scene from inside a four-wheeled vehicle, I could only wish them a safe journey. Similarly, recently on Raksha Bandhan, I saw two very young children, almost infants, sandwiched between the motorcycle rider and their mother, who sat at the back, with four people on a single motorcycle.