Editorial
Grisly road accidents
Alarm bell set ringing again
THE death of a police sergeant, and a female university student sustaining multiple injuries that might cripple her permanently, are the latest reminders of how dangerously exposed citizens are to grisly road accidents in this city of traffic chaos and peril.
The police sergeant was trying to chase an errant driver when he was overrun, and the girl student was knocked by a bus when she was returning home after attending her classes. So, it is evident that they had little control over the situation and were victims of reckless, almost insane, driving that has become so common in the city these days.
The tragedies that we have just witnessed are clearly the results of traffic rules being flouted with impunity. It is really disturbing that buses and mini-buses are allowed to overtake each other in a mad race, while posing a grave danger to both the passengers and pedestrians. Even at crowded intersections, the mini-buses seldom bother to slow down, and pedestrians are often seen hurrying across the roads and avoiding, very luckily, fatal accidents by a fraction of a second or so. And this continues throughout the day in the city. Furthermore, makeshift bus stoppages create insurmountable problems for all other vehicles and pedestrians. The commuters are content to set their feet somehow on any space near the door of a bus and keep themselves hanging as the bus moves at a high speed. A moment's loss of concentration or loosening of the grip can lead to instant death in all such cases. But who is there to caution these people and ensure their safety?
Now, let's have a look at the worn-out vehicles and the untrained, arrogant drivers. The buses and mini-buses, in particular, often look like contraptions that should have been scrapped long ago. And drivers are always a source of worry as they have no regard for traffic rules or human lives.
The BRTA which issues fitness certificates to all these vehicles should explain to citizens how the buses and minibuses having no road-worthiness could make their way to the streets. How did the untrained drivers manage to get licence, and if they do not have it, whose responsibility was it to stop them from driving in busy Dhaka streets? These questions need to be answered to prevent accidents that account for such a large number of casualties.
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