Editorial Desk :
At least 14 people were killed and six others injured on Thursday in road accidents in four districts including Barguna, Sylhet, Lalmonirhat and Chapainawabganj. The first two mishaps occurred said to have been due to poor visibility in rain while drivers reckless driving is blamed for the two others.
We must say rain is really posing a big risk to passengers’ safety particularly when the Eid festival is going to be celebrated amidst heavy rainy season and more cautions are needed that must come from drivers and transport workers to avoid such risk.
At least 14 people were killed and six others injured on Thursday in road accidents in four districts including Barguna, Sylhet, Lalmonirhat and Chapainawabganj. The first two mishaps occurred said to have been due to poor visibility in rain while drivers reckless driving is blamed for the two others.
We must say rain is really posing a big risk to passengers’ safety particularly when the Eid festival is going to be celebrated amidst heavy rainy season and more cautions are needed that must come from drivers and transport workers to avoid such risk.
Reports said in Sylhet, five people, including a child and woman were killed in the accident leaving three others injured in a head-on collision in heavy rain between a truck and a microbus on Dhaka highway. The accident at Barguna on Patuakhali-Kuakata highway took away six lives and poor visibility in heavy rains has been equally blamed.
In Chapainawabganj, a motor biker was killed while a truck run over a schoolboy at Patgram Upazila of Lalmonirhat district.
News about road accidents and unfortunate death are almost daily phenomena despite the government claim that the road system has improved all over the country. The reality is that big potholes and craters on roads and highways are critically impairing safe journey at most places. Roads look like muddy canal in the countryside at many places adding to risk to fatal accidents.
We must say violation of rules by transport workers and drivers’ reckless driving need to be checked to minimise the risk. We can’t put passengers’ lives to mindless behavior of transport workers. There is no alternative for the government to do more to make roads and highways smooth and safe. It must strengthen highway police and monitoring system on the highway to watch on faulty motor vehicles. Transport sector leaders – both owners and workers — also must work to remove the root cause of the accidents. It must include proper training and motivation for road safety and to develop a sense of awareness and responsibility among transport workers to save passengers’ lives.
Police verification of a bus which caused three accidents – one after another – at a time on Dhaka-Chattogram highway early this year killing 10 people and injuring 25 showed its owner had widened the body of the bus to carry more passengers. Its fitness had also expired three years back and yet it was plying apparently bribing traffic police. We can’t impose discipline on roads and highways if such is the reality in the ground.
Thus it is clear that these road accidents are not accidental, such deaths are the result of callous mismanagement in maintaining discipline on roads by bus owners and truck drivers. Poor visibility is no excuse for reckless driving. Most of the buses and trucks are owned by powerful people with police connection. So the drivers know they have police protection. To deal with road accidents the first thing to be done is to ensure that buses and trucks must not be owned by police officers or their immediate relations.
News about road accidents and unfortunate death are almost daily phenomena despite the government claim that the road system has improved all over the country. The reality is that big potholes and craters on roads and highways are critically impairing safe journey at most places. Roads look like muddy canal in the countryside at many places adding to risk to fatal accidents.
We must say violation of rules by transport workers and drivers’ reckless driving need to be checked to minimise the risk. We can’t put passengers’ lives to mindless behavior of transport workers. There is no alternative for the government to do more to make roads and highways smooth and safe. It must strengthen highway police and monitoring system on the highway to watch on faulty motor vehicles. Transport sector leaders – both owners and workers — also must work to remove the root cause of the accidents. It must include proper training and motivation for road safety and to develop a sense of awareness and responsibility among transport workers to save passengers’ lives.
Police verification of a bus which caused three accidents – one after another – at a time on Dhaka-Chattogram highway early this year killing 10 people and injuring 25 showed its owner had widened the body of the bus to carry more passengers. Its fitness had also expired three years back and yet it was plying apparently bribing traffic police. We can’t impose discipline on roads and highways if such is the reality in the ground.
Thus it is clear that these road accidents are not accidental, such deaths are the result of callous mismanagement in maintaining discipline on roads by bus owners and truck drivers. Poor visibility is no excuse for reckless driving. Most of the buses and trucks are owned by powerful people with police connection. So the drivers know they have police protection. To deal with road accidents the first thing to be done is to ensure that buses and trucks must not be owned by police officers or their immediate relations.
