It is good to note that the death toll in road accidents has decreased in the last one month across the country. A total of 458 accidents claimed 519 lives in August. In the previous month, 739 people lost their lives in road accidents. Reportedly, the death toll has decreased by almost 30 percent in one month.
Almost every day we are bombarded with reports of horrendous road accidents, deaths and injuries. Every time the gravity of road safety issues gets intensified when any student dies of road accident. After every incident of road crash we hear pledges from the BRTA, police, and other transport authorities. But all fade away with the passage of time, which is why the procession of deaths on the roads never stops.
The government should take
more severe steps in ensuring
punishment of the drivers who
do not follow the traffic rules
Transportation experts blame unfit vehicles, unskilled drivers and reckless driving as the core reasons behind the staggering number of road accidents. Many bus owners recruit drivers considering personal relationship and recommendations of known people without properly examining their driving skill. It is disconcerting to note that a number of unscrupulous BRTA officials provide licence to the unskilled drivers and fitness certificates to the unfit vehicles without any test. As a result, a large number of unskilled drivers get chance to ply their vehicles on roads illegally. When the authorities concerned cannot maintain integrity in terms of giving certificates to drivers and vehicles, it is not pragmatic indeed to expect those drivers who buy licence through unfair means will maintain discipline on the roads.
Too many lives are being lost on our roads every day, and it’s time the government put all-out efforts to bring some order to the road. It is high time that Bangladesh took stern actions against reckless driving. Also, in order to ensure road safety for all, the design and quality of the roads and highways must be improved; unfit vehicles should not be allowed on the roads and campaigns must be conducted to raise awareness of traffic rules.
We should devise immediate measures to improve the current road safety issues. Transport owners should scrutinise the driving skill of the drivers before recruiting. Last but not least, the government should take more severe steps in ensuring punishment of the drivers who do not follow the traffic rules.