It would not be an overstatement to say that Bangladesh’s roads and highways are always virtual deathtraps. But during the Eid rush, fatal accidents occur more than the other times. Eid-ul-Azha is approaching, and keeping the higher rate of accidents during the time in mind, the government recently formed a committee for probing causes of the road accidents and the committee recommended, rather convincingly, that motorcycles should be banned on national highways to reduce the number of accidents.
In recent years, all will agree that the number of two-wheeler motorbikes, be it ride sharing or private, have greatly increased with their dangerous movement on the streets and are becoming causes of road mishaps. The government probe committee has found that motorcycles cause almost half of all road accidents on national highways and made the recommendation of banning the two wheelers on the highways. Quoting Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a report in a national daily yesterday mentioned that at least 416 people were killed in 372 road accidents in 15 days from April 26 this year. Of the dead, 145 people were killed in 164 accidents involving motorbikes. It means that motorcycles were involved in 44.08 per cent of the crashes and 34.85 per cent of the deaths. Therefore, on the highways motorcycles are a menace.
Considering these figures of deaths and accidents, when the committee advised to ban motorcycles on the highways during the days of Eid, we find justification in that.
Even a decade ago, there were not so many bikes on the highways as well as streets inside the metropolis. Now swarming motorcycles have become a common scene everywhere. The bikers seem to know no traffic rules as they push through and drive past other vehicles.
There are, however, other causes of road mishaps too. Among them are reckless and careless driving, illegal and risky overtaking, carrying extra passengers on bikes without wearing helmets, violating traffic rules, operations of illegal and slow vehicles including the three-wheelers like Nasimon, Karimon, Bhatbhati on the highways. Besides enforcing the ban, the highway police have its main responsibility to ensure that all vehicles are following the traffic rules completely. It will bring a visible result on the highways in terms of reduction of accidents.
One thing more, Bangladesh has a total of some 4000km of national highways, and there is nowhere a lane is allotted for motorbikes. If that can be done, only then these two wheelers can be allowed on the highways.
In recent years, all will agree that the number of two-wheeler motorbikes, be it ride sharing or private, have greatly increased with their dangerous movement on the streets and are becoming causes of road mishaps. The government probe committee has found that motorcycles cause almost half of all road accidents on national highways and made the recommendation of banning the two wheelers on the highways. Quoting Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a report in a national daily yesterday mentioned that at least 416 people were killed in 372 road accidents in 15 days from April 26 this year. Of the dead, 145 people were killed in 164 accidents involving motorbikes. It means that motorcycles were involved in 44.08 per cent of the crashes and 34.85 per cent of the deaths. Therefore, on the highways motorcycles are a menace.
Considering these figures of deaths and accidents, when the committee advised to ban motorcycles on the highways during the days of Eid, we find justification in that.
Even a decade ago, there were not so many bikes on the highways as well as streets inside the metropolis. Now swarming motorcycles have become a common scene everywhere. The bikers seem to know no traffic rules as they push through and drive past other vehicles.
There are, however, other causes of road mishaps too. Among them are reckless and careless driving, illegal and risky overtaking, carrying extra passengers on bikes without wearing helmets, violating traffic rules, operations of illegal and slow vehicles including the three-wheelers like Nasimon, Karimon, Bhatbhati on the highways. Besides enforcing the ban, the highway police have its main responsibility to ensure that all vehicles are following the traffic rules completely. It will bring a visible result on the highways in terms of reduction of accidents.
One thing more, Bangladesh has a total of some 4000km of national highways, and there is nowhere a lane is allotted for motorbikes. If that can be done, only then these two wheelers can be allowed on the highways.
