Road accidents in Dhaka city
Monday, 4 October 2010
Road accidents in Dhaka city
The state of the Dhaka's traffic does not require elaboration since the commuters get their firsthand experience everyday, even on weekly holidays. The traffic department of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is seemingly clueless as far as finding a solution to Dhaka's plight that has rather multiplied over time. The reasons behind Dhaka's traffic becoming worse are many- the bus drivers, who give a damn to traffic rules and the agencies responsible for enforcing the same, being at the top.
Of late, a new development has surfaced. The number of deaths in road accidents has been on the rise. Pedestrians are getting killed on busy roads just because of reckless driving of passenger buses. Two students were crushed under the wheels of speeding buses in Dhaka city last week. Every life, be it of a student or a garment worker, is precious. In most cases, the bus drivers manage to escape-sometimes, traffic police, allegedly, facilitate such escape-soon after the accident. Troubles generally flare up immediately after the accidents. Angry students (if the accident victims are students) or pedestrians resort to violence in protest. They blockade roads and cause damage to vehicles of all types including privately-owned cars that are not anyway involved in such accidents.
It is not Dhaka alone, the number of deaths on highways has also gone up in recent months. Almost everyday, 10 to 15 people are getting killed in road accidents. It is time the authorities took urgent steps to stop deaths on Dhaka streets and highways.
Mirana Zaman
Pallabi, Dhaka
The state of the Dhaka's traffic does not require elaboration since the commuters get their firsthand experience everyday, even on weekly holidays. The traffic department of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is seemingly clueless as far as finding a solution to Dhaka's plight that has rather multiplied over time. The reasons behind Dhaka's traffic becoming worse are many- the bus drivers, who give a damn to traffic rules and the agencies responsible for enforcing the same, being at the top.
Of late, a new development has surfaced. The number of deaths in road accidents has been on the rise. Pedestrians are getting killed on busy roads just because of reckless driving of passenger buses. Two students were crushed under the wheels of speeding buses in Dhaka city last week. Every life, be it of a student or a garment worker, is precious. In most cases, the bus drivers manage to escape-sometimes, traffic police, allegedly, facilitate such escape-soon after the accident. Troubles generally flare up immediately after the accidents. Angry students (if the accident victims are students) or pedestrians resort to violence in protest. They blockade roads and cause damage to vehicles of all types including privately-owned cars that are not anyway involved in such accidents.
It is not Dhaka alone, the number of deaths on highways has also gone up in recent months. Almost everyday, 10 to 15 people are getting killed in road accidents. It is time the authorities took urgent steps to stop deaths on Dhaka streets and highways.
Mirana Zaman
Pallabi, Dhaka