Road accidents are a major cause of death in Bangladesh. Poor road condition is also related to road crashes. Road in dilapidated condition often slows down traffic. So when drivers find good roads, they often gear up the speed, causing accidents.
According to a study conducted a few years ago by the World Economic Forum, Bangladesh's roads are among the worst in Asia. The country ranked at 113 in the globe in terms of road quality. Other South Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan ranked way better than we did. Despite cheap labour generally available in our country, the cost of road construction in Bangladesh is higher than anywhere else in the world. In spite of the huge cost, however, the quality of our roads is pathetic. Roads with potholes or other defects do not only make journeys uncomfortable for passengers but also force their owners to count an additional economic cost. Poor road conditions increase repairing cost for motor vehicles. The fuel cost also goes up since the engines of vehicles have to bear additional pressure on damaged parts of the roads. Moreover, vehicles take more time when road conditions are poor.
Corruption and irregularities must be checked to bring transparency and accountability of road construction. Reducing the number of road accidents and transportation costs, calls for improving the quality of roads. Otherwise, Bangladesh will have to pay heavily in terms of money and lives.
Shahjahan Sirazi,
Malibagh, Dhaka,
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