Legal: The Thimphu traffic police have charged an ambulance driver and a 43-year-old woman for violating Road Safety and Transport Authority (RSTA) rules.

The case involving the ambulance driver of Bajo hospital in Wangduephodrang and the woman was registered at the Thimphu dzongkhag court’s criminal bench after the ambulance hit the woman at the Royal Institute of Management (RIM) junction on October 25 last year.

The preliminary hearing of the case was conducted on January 18.

Police charged the ambulance driver for not following the speed limit of 30km per hour in the area. However, there was no speed limit sign in the area.

The ambulance was transporting a patient to the national referral hospital from Bajo hospital. Police said that the ambulance had its beacon light flashing.

The driver was also charged for not controlling the vehicle, violating a chapter in the RSTA rules and regulation 1999, which mandates drivers to have proper control of the vehicle and have full view of both sides of the road.

Police also submitted to the court that the driver should be liable to compensate the victim as per the severity of injury and charges with other relevant laws.

Police claimed the woman was crossing the road at the time of the incident. She was pushed 63.6ft by the vehicle and suffered serious damage.

The woman, who is also from Wangdue, was charged for violating section 60 of the RSTA rules and regulations, which states that a pedestrian must not put themselves or anyone else in danger by moving onto the road and in the way of an oncoming vehicle.

The police have also submitted to the court to convict the victim with any other provisions of the law, as she had moved onto the road of an oncoming vehicle, putting herself in danger and causing injury to her body.

Tashi Tenzin

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