Country\\\'s highways turn into death traps

A good communication network in a country is a sine qua non for its economic development as well as ensuring a desirable living standard for its citizens. Since the country's independence, successive governments tried their best to develop roads and highways. But the development of communication networks could not be achieved at a level matching with the rising population and the number of motorised vehicles.
Most busy highways are now in a dilapidated condition though the government is endeavouring to expand and renovate those. Work on transforming the most busy two-lane Dhaka- Chittagong highway into a four-lane one is in progress.
The busy highways in the country are Dhaka- Chittagong, Dhaka -Aricha, Dhaka- Mawa and Dhaka -Tangail- Mymensingh. Presently, these highways have become death traps for the travelling people due to their worn-out condition, reckless driving, lax highway police patrolling and many dangerous curves on different points. Hardly a day is passed without any accident on these roads and highways creating a sense of fear and anxiety among the commuters. There was a time when a single incident of death from road accident would have become a matter of concern for the administration. But the situation has now totally changed as deaths of 10, 20 and even 50 people in one single accident do not shake the conscience of the killer drivers and the authorities concerned.
The cardinal fact behind road crashes that cause deaths, injuries and damage to property is a nature of psychological warfare. Here nobody is fighting foreign foes who have to be punished, overcome and abandoned-as if they won't dare to reappear again in the field of operation.
But in fact that does not happen. They come on the scene more violently-they are the automobile drivers-the killers on the highways of the country. But whatever be their faults and offences on the streets and highways, they are all immune from any sort of exemplary punishment.
They have strong associations. They collect tolls and raise big funds to combat the passengers, pedestrians and innocent small vehicle owners. The associations keep many of their members as reserve force to face any eventuality arising out of accidents or altercation over fare with the passengers. These people are fully paid from the funds collected as tolls by the associations.
Sometimes they call strikes, hold protest meetings and stop movement of vehicular traffic to press home their unjust and illogical demands holding commuters and the administration hostage. These have become common features now and this section of transport sector people rules the roost.
Violation of traffic rules, running of vehicles at high speed and competition between the drivers to reach their destinations early for more trips aimed at earning more money in total disregard for safety of people's lives are main causes behind the road accidents on long routes-that is highways.
In October this year, 159 people had lost their lives in highway accidents in the country. The total death toll in road crashes in 2014 across the country stands at 1,216 by the end of October.
Rash driving coupled with disregard for traffic rules on highways has taken its deadly toll as a Rajshahi- bound bus from Dhaka collided head-on with another bus coming from the opposite direction near Natore killing 33 passengers recently. The bus from Dhaka turned to wrong side of the road while overtaking a truck causing the fatal accident. What is more ironical is that a third bus from Natore passing the spot at the same time had run over the victims of the crash lying on the road.
Most of the highway accidents occurred during two Eid vacations. During the last two Eid vacations more than 60 people lost their lives in road crashes.
Another deadly highway accident claimed lives of 44 children in Chittagong some two years back. The truck carrying the school-children skidded off the road into a roadside pond thus causing the deaths of the children. The accident occurred due to the negligence of an ignorant driver who was engaged in conversation with someone over his mobile phone. After this deadly accident the government prohibited conversation of drivers over mobile phone while driving vehicles. But this order is not followed by drivers. Rather they are continuing it with impunity due to lack of monitoring.
After any major road accident, the authorities concerned form probe panel to investigate the cause of the incident so that action may be taken against the culprits. But after some days of the accident people start forgetting the issue and the probe reports do not see the light of day. As a result, the drivers or persons responsible for such accidents go unpunished and the same things are repeated. After the Natore road accident the government had formed a three-member inquiry committee but people are yet to know the action taken against the offenders.
As citizens, passengers also have a role to play in ensuring road safety. While travelling by public\\private transports, passengers should protest and stop speeding and reckless driving of vehicles. Owners of motor vehicles should ensure that their employed drivers have genuine licences, are properly trained and drive responsibly. Road safety education to pedestrians, especially children, involving community leaders is also a good way to advance the cause.
Niparad Sarak Chai chairman, film actor Ilyas Kanchan is continuing his campaign against reckless driving and for promoting road safety. It may be noted that the actor formed the organisation after losing his wife in a tragic road accident some years back.
Statistics from the road safety cell (RSC) of the BRTA show that the annual fatality rate in road accident in Bangladesh is 85.6 per 10,000 vehicles compared to rates of below 3 per 10,000 vehicles in most developed countries.
The cause of road traffic accidents are, however, multifaceted and will take years of concerted and coordinated efforts to address, it is viewed.
Statistics reveal that road accidents in Bangladesh have been on the rise in recent years and are presumed to aggravate further unless urgent action is taken. Motorised traffic is growing very rapidly in the country, with 400 new automobiles coming on to roads every day. Over the decade the number of vehicles may be double.
Recently, while inaugurating a rally of Nirapad Sarak Chai, Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Obidul Quader revealed that there are 144 accident-prone spots on the highways across the country and the government has started working to streamline those spots. He also said that the government will launch a countrywide drive against the vehicles having no valid documents.
It is alleged that a section of BRTA people in connivance with dishonest traffic police issue fake driving licences to untrained drivers, even to transport helpers, giving rise to frequent road accidents that cause loss of innumerable lives and damage to property.
For a developing country like Bangladesh, allowing its citizens to perish in road accidents is not only tragic but unacceptable. The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), highway police and others concerned should be more active to prevent road crashes that devastate many families.

The writer is senior news consultant at FE.
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