Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
The long-distance transports now ply as many as 22 national highways countrywide at a speed much lower than the average rate fixed by the government because of the movement of some slow-moving vehicles on these roads, leading to fatal accidents.
The high speed allowed for the vehicles on these roads is 80 killometres per hour (KPM) but the transports move at a speed not beyond 40 KPM.
A total of 1.08 lakh unregistered converted utility vehicles ply the highways, according to a recent survey conducted by Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the regulatory body for the road transport sector.
However, the Passengers’ Welfare Association said there are 3 lakh unfit vehicles and 10 lakh converted utility vehicles and easy-bikes across the country, which are mainly liable for accidents on highways.
Media reports suggest 56 per cent of the traffic accidents take place every year on highways. At least 6,055 people were killed and 15,914 injured in 4,312 accidents in 2016.
The plying of unstable battery-run vehicles, including easy-bikes, auto-rickshaws nasimon and karimon on the highways is also a major reason for the accidents, police say.
Passengers allege that these illegal vehicles ply the highways by paying money to police and ruling party men
These illegal vehicles also create tailback on these roads. Taking traffic congestions to their advantage, bus owners and conductors are charging the commuters extra fare, they said.
The government banned movement of such vehicles on highways in 2010 while the High Court on January 25 this year directed the Home Secretary to prohibit movement of unauthorised locally made three wheelers, popularly known as Nasiman or Kariman or Bhatbhati, on highways to prevent road accident. The court also directed the Deputy Inspector General of Police (highway) and superintendents of police not to allow plying unfit vehicles on highways.
Many pointed out that they often remain stuck on roads as buses are forced to slow speed because of the illegal slow-moving vehicles.
Santosh Ray, a private service holder in Panchagarh, said, “Now I work at an NGO from where I draw a poor salary. I could not take part in the preliminary examination for a Senior Officer post at Agrani Bank due to traffic jam on the Panchagarh-Dhaka highway, which was scheduled to be held at Dhunia College in the capital’s Jatrabari at 10:00am on May 19. Unfortunately, I also lost my job as I failed to reach my office the following day.
Monwara Begum Fensi, a private school teacher from Nilphamari, alleged about extra bus fare, She said Tk 600 was charged for one ticket to Rangpur showing excuse of traffic jam which otherwise would cost Tk 500.
The counter manager of TR Travels at Kalyanpur, Shahedur Rahman, admitted that passengers are being cheated extra fare. He, however claimed that the genuine fare is Tk 600 as per the rate fixed by the government.
On extortion by police, driver Aminul Islam said he has to pay Tk 25 to police on duty at each check post to get clearance to move forward to reach the city’s kitchen maarket.
Sabbir, a 10-year old street child at Khulna’s Sonadanga Bypass Road, said that he got Tk 100 per day from the police for collecting money for them from the human hauler drivers.
Hridoy Khan, a driver of human hauler in Gazipur, said the Highway Police take TK 10,000 from each driver illegally and give permission to ply the vehicles on the Dhaka-Mymensing highways.
Rumana Akter, haling from Kurigram district, said, “Her 60-year-old mother lost her life as their ambulance got ‘stuck’ in a traffic jam due to a road accident in Tangail last month.”
BRTA fixed the fare for long-route buses at Tk 1.42 per kilometer across the country except Dhaka, its adjacent areas and Chittagong metropolitan cities.The new rate of fare came into effect on May 15 last year.
Khandaker Rafiqul Hossain Kajal, President of Association of Bus Companies (ABC), said, “Many human hauliers and some small three-and four-wheelers are plying illegally, which is a threat for long distance buses.”
Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque said police have been instructed to free the highways from the illegal vehicles for smooth movement of all other vehicles. The IGP also talked tough on police extortion during Ramzan and Eid.
Additional Deputy Inspector General (Highway Range) of Police M A Maleq warned that any policeman found engaged in extortion would be sacked on the spot.
BRTA should be alert to give driving licenses to reduce road accident, he suggested.
