Reza Mahmud :
Dustcart drivers of city corporations found reckless most of the time while driving vehicles creating anarchies in the streets. Most of them have no proper training and driving license.
In capital Dhaka, two separate dustcart incidents took place on Wednesday and Thursday and two people were in the mishaps.
On Thursday, a man was killed when a Dhaka North City Corporation’s dustcart hit his motorcycle in capital’s Panthapath area.
The victim was identified as Md Ahsan Kabir Khan, 46, a former employee of Bangla daily Prothom Alo.
The death of Ahsan comes day after the killing of a Notre Dame College student, Nayeem Hasan, 17, at Gulistan on Wednesday by a Dhaka South City Corporation’s garbage truck.
The latest incident has taken place when students of different educational institutions were protesting in Dhaka for a second day demanding road safety.
The protest started after the killing of Notre Dame College student. Sources said, most of the dustcart drivers of city corporations have no proper training and driving license.
Most of the time they drive recklessly in the city streets and create anarchies including traffic jam as per their whims.
They spread garbage in the city streets showing ignorance in all norms.
Besides, the garbage truck drivers involved in corruptions including stealing fuel oils, parts of their vehicles and making illegal money.
They also have stayed absent from their duties without taking leave properly, sending the driving duty to their associates.
As a result, the associates drive the dustcarts without proper training and used to occur incidents.
The killing of Notre Dame College student has taken place by such an associate of a driver of DSCC.
Experts said, the sorrowful incidents are taking place due to lack of proper monitoring that who are driving the vehicles.
They suggested initiating speed limits in the city streets.
The experts said, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority has to take strict action and increase monitoring on vehicle drivers.
When contacted, Dr. Adil Mohammad Khan of Jahangirnagar University, an Urban Planner and General Secretary of the Planners Institute, told The New Nation on Thursday, “Lack of proper monitoring about drivers is a major reason of incidents in the city.”
“It is to be ensured first that the drivers in city corporations and all other vehicles have driving license and proper training as well,” the expert said.
He said, there is no speed limit in the city. As a result, most of the vehicles drive recklessly in the streets where they found no traffic gridlocks.
When contacted, Md. Lokman Hossen Mollah, Director (Operation) of BRTA, told The New Nation, “The BRTA Chairman is in a meeting with other officials on the matter of reckless driving of dustcart drivers. He (Chairman) is the right person to say something about the matter.”
Lokman said he is not an authorised person to make a comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, Nur Mohammad Mazumder, Chairman of BRTA, could not be reached after trying several times to get him comment on the issue.
Similarly, DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam and DSCC Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh could not be reached for taking comments on it.
