Not just taking decision, implementation also needed

The “procession of death” on the roads and highways has not stopped. The incident of casualties in road accidents seems to be increased before and after Eid-ul Azha. Discipline cannot be restored on roads by any means. After the demonstration of students demanding safe roads, Traffic Week of Police also ended. But reckless movement of vehicles has not stopped.

According to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (a non-government passenger welfare organisation), from 16 to 28 August, at least 259 people were killed and 960 others injured in 237 road mishaps across the country.

Meanwhile, at least 20 other people also died and succumbed injuries since the August 28.

Students of different schools and colleges took streets across the country, demanding safe roads, following the death of two college students in a road crash on Airport road in the capital's Kurmitola area on July 29, which led the cabinet to approve the Road Transport Act-2018 in last month.

To restore discipline and to make roads free of traffic congestion, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) also issued directives to the different institutions concerned to submit plans which are implantable quickly.

Earlier in June last, the premier also gave a six-point directive to bring discipline on roads.

But it is not necessary to tell how much it has been implemented.

The recent scenario of road accidents in the last few days seem the situation is almost same as before. The ill practice of race among buses of same routes and taking more passengers has not stopped.

Many of the transport workers do not care for the announcement made by the leaders of bus owners and transport workers. So, many buses are also running on daily contract. Still, many of outdated buses are also running on roads. Many of the buses have no windows and signal lights. There is also allegation to charge extra fare as before.

Of course, police activities have increased on roads. They were seen to examine fitness certificate, driving license and route permit, setting up check-posts on different points to bring bang discipline on roads.

During the student demonstration, the government had given an assurance of taking steps as much as needed to prevent road crashes. As part of the assurance, a bunch of 18 decisions was taken to bring discipline on roads and to curb the road mishap across the country, in a meeting of the Road Transport Advisory Council on August 27. The council also put emphasis to implement the decisions soon.

A ban has been imposed on driving vehicle over 80km speed on the highway. To stop race of buses in the capital Dhaka, the contractual activities should be stopped.

Decision has also been taken to set up restrooms on different points of highways for drivers of trucks and buses. An instruction of being stricter has been issued against movement of Nasiman, Kariman, auto-rickshaw and battery-run vehicles on the highways.

In fact, various initiatives are being taken or taken on different times to bring discipline on roads. But the decisions are limited to paper only. Taking decision is not enough, its implementation is also desirable.

It is a crime to drive vehicles without legal documents. For this, there is act with jail sentence and fine. But thousands of unskilled drivers are running vehicles without license. There is no example of sentencing jail or fine to someone for this. So, oppression of the reckless drivers is not decreasing as they never face justice and punishment.

The losses of the road accidents cannot be measured by the number of deaths and injuries only. Each life is invaluable. And when anyone is maimed in an accident, he or she becomes a burden to the family.
On last Friday, at a press conference held by the Jatri Kalyan Samity, the reasons of road accidents were elaborated. Unfit vehicles randomly running on the roads, reckless driving by the unskilled and unlicenced drivers and cargo vehicles being used to carry passengers have been identified as the principle reason for the accidents. It is not impossible to resolve these. The institutions concerned must carry out their duties properly. They must be accountable and punished for any negligence. Experts have also been talking about the issues on different times.

It is not difficult to remove these causes of accidents. It needs change of mentality and performing duties for the institutions and officials concerned properly. If not, it is necessary to have accountability and punishment. Now, we expect that not only taking decisions, importance should also be given on implementing these. Everybody concerned will have to work sincerely to stop the death procession on roads.


risingbd/Dhaka/September 02, 2018/Ali Nowsher/A K Azad