Rising deaths on roads

The tragic death of about 50 people in road accidents in the two days following the Eid-ul Fitr has, once again, brought the issue of rash driving by drivers to the fore. In Sirajgang alone 25 people were killed in two such accidents. One of the two accidents took place when a Bogra-bound bus collided head-on with a Dhaka-bound bus at a road crossing. Sixty-seven others were injured. Usually, such road accidents occur during holiday rush hours every year with drivers desperately intent on earning extra bucks by running vehicles at break-neck speed for more trips.    

It is indeed a sad commentary on the state of affairs in areas of road communication. The authorities are yet to draw up effective plans to examine, on a priority basis, fitness of those behind the steering wheels. Cars and buses regularly undergo routine fitness examinations at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA). But the drivers are hardly asked to prove their own fitness to drive their vehicles. As a result, they often go scot-free when their vehicles meet with deadly accidents. More than one million drivers of motorised vehicles are, according to a recent survey, without valid licences. What is more distressing and dangerous is inaction of the BRTA about it. It does not require a serious study to understand why accidents are so frequent in the country and why the death toll from these is mounting. However, it is not understandable why the higher authorities are allowing the BRTA and the traffic police to be only mute witnesses to such tragedies.

The findings of various studies as well as circumstantial evidences show that most of the drivers of public and goods transports do not have any academic or formal training for driving. Most of them even do not have any written agreement on their employment that puts them in a state of job insecurity and social dissatisfaction. This affects their mental stability. A driver's efficiency depends on his mental, physical and academic background. Proper enforcement of existing traffic laws could also reduce road accidents to a considerable extent.

What is all the more alarming is that most drivers still remain in the driving seats of public transports, endangering lives of many passengers. And the drivers are aged between 18 and 25 years, too young to have the necessary mental make-up to drive vehicles on highways, roads or other busy places in cities and towns.  While BRTA itself claims that it keeps up-to-date data on the number of people with fake licences, it appears to be quite impotent in doing anything about it. Even the Road Transport and Bridges Minister was once at his wit's end regarding corruption issue inside the BRTA. He wondered how the country's five vehicle inspection centres remained inoperative for decades. They deliberately keep the machines inoperative, the minister observed while adding that fitness certificates are being given manually for lining the pockets of officers and employees there.

Yet another factor that could deter delinquent drivers from rash driving is provision of deterrent punishment for violation of traffic rules. Until today, no such drivers have been brought to justice nor have they been given any exemplary punishment. As a result, those who are in the driving seat, have a feeling that they can easily get away once a mishap occurs. The avoidable deaths on roads will continue to go on rising unless the drivers come under strict surveillance of the traffic police and are given due punishment for their recklessness.