Risingbd Online Bangla News Portal

Dhaka     Thursday   28 March 2024

Discipline on roads must be restored

1 || risingbd.com

Published: 08:52, 25 February 2017   Update: 15:18, 26 July 2020
Discipline on roads must be restored

Scores of people are killed in road accidents every year in the country. Many people are injured and go maimed for life. A tragic accident becomes an issue of mourning for life to the victims. Some accidents leave the entire country stunned. For example, a tragic road accident in Ghior of Manikganj on August 13, 2011 left 5 including prominent filmmaker Tareque Masud and cinematographer Mishuk Munier, who was also the chief news editor of ATN News, dead. A reckless speedy bus crushed the micro-bus carrying them.

Drivers responsible for road accidents in most cases get escaped in our country. They slip away through the holes of law. Everyone feared that the bus driver who hit the micro-bus carrying Tareque Masud and Mishuk Munier with others would also get escaped. However, the verdict of the case has been delivered on Wednesday, six years after the incident. The bus driver Jamir Hossain has been sentenced jail for life for reckless driving and negligence of duties.

However, the confederates of the convicted bus driver are not showing respect to the verdict of the court. The bus-truck labourers called transport strike in Chuadanga protesting the verdict which snapped the land communication of the district with the country. The agitators do not have any headache for the lives lost across the country due to the recklessness of the drivers.

There are serious errors in the management of roads in the country. With few exceptions, there is on divider on two-lane highways. At the same time, slow and speedy vehicles run simultaneously on highways. There are allegations that many buses and trucks make body of the vehicles larger than the specified size to carry more passengers or goods. According to experts, the balance of the vehicles is lost for the reason and the risk of accidents increases. Many unfit vehicles are plying on roads and highways. Many vehicles have faulty brakes. Besides, there are allegations of irregularities and corruption in providing licenses to drivers. For which unqualified and inefficient drivers are getting licenses.

According to media reports, more than 140 people have died on roads in last two weeks. A study of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology says 53 percent of the road accidents occur due to excessive speedy driving. And 37 percent of accidents occur due to the recklessness of the drivers. According to another study, buses and trucks are responsible for two-thirds accidents of the country.

The question is how long will the people go on dying on streets? Discipline must be restored on roads to get rid of the situation. Otherwise the procession of deaths will keep increasing. Order should be restored to make drivers to drive their vehicles obeying specified speed limit. The law enforcers should have speed gun and license examining devices in controlling speed on highways.  

Besides, special cameras should be set up in intervals of certain distance so that legal action can be taken against the violators analysing data of the cameras. Experts say there are many dangerous turns on roads. Making these turns straight, raising all highways into four lanes and setting up dividers would lessen the rate of road accidents. All concerned should pay attention and taking urgent steps must in this regard.

 


risingbd/DHAKA/Feb 25, 2017/Ali Nowsher/Augustin Sujan

risingbd.com