A GOVERNMENT probe has found the bus driver responsible for the Gaibandha road crash that left 16 people dead last month. Besides falling asleep on the wheels, the driver’s licence was also examined to be a fake one. Following the accident, the Road Transport and Highways Division formed a probe body to find out the reason, thus the shocking truth was revealed.
The driver, the probe report mentioned had fallen asleep after having dinner a little before the accident in early hours of June 23. The probe further unearthed that the bus was made of very low quality materials and its fitness certificate was not updated.
The committee submitted the report with 22 recommendations including action against the driver and owner/s of the bus, physical and mental fitness of drivers, and night vision speed detection camera and appointment letters for drivers. However, number of death caused due to road accidents has alarmingly shot up in recent times. Our passengers have been made victim of thousands of avoidable and unaccepted accidents. Ensuring rule of law in our roads could well begin with the Gaibandha probe report.
In fact now we come to learn of multiple factors to have been causing road accidents – fake drivers, poorly built vehicles with substandard raw materials, bad condition of our roads, reckless driving and etc. Now that the probe report has revealed multiple factors, we expect the government, to act in line with the findings and recommendations seriously. A long list of 22 recommendations is no easy task to materialise overnight. Authorities concerned must prioritise what comes first, but foremost the owner of the bus must be reprimanded in an exemplary manner.
In this regard all drivers must be prevented from excessive driving too – their shifts in duty must be monitored and the bus owners should also not force them to drive in the wee hours. We demand active involvement of the highway police in regular scrutiny of long distance vehicles, documents of their drivers. Initiatives mustn’t be launched after accidents occur. Instead the cautionary drives must be made regular so to deter uncalled-for accidents.
