Bangladesh continued witnessing a sharp rise in the number of road crashes and casualties, causing a loss of about 2 percent of GDP in the country equivalent to Taka 70 thousand crore annually. The losses include direct and indirect expenses, such as medical costs, insurance loss, property damage and family income losses.
A professor of Accident Research Institute (ARI), BUET quoting a study of World Health Organisation on Sunday said on an average 25,000 people meet the tragic end of their lives on roads and highways every year in Bangladesh. Road mishaps continued to ruin many families especially giving a deadly blow to the poor ones.
Relevant authorities must
complete the road repair works
across the country immediately
Faulty vehicles, reckless driving, desperate attitude, incompetence and illnesses of drivers, unsettled wages and working hours and movement of low-speed vehicles on highways are the major causes of road accident. Besides, reckless motorcycling by youths, the tendency of flouting traffic rules, poor traffic management, lack of efficiency of BRTA and extortion in the transport sector are also turning the roads and highway into death valleys almost every day. Apart from these, contractual leasing of vehicles to drivers or conductors on daily basis, employing drivers without licence, lack of awareness among pedestrians, overloading and overtaking tendency of drivers are some of the reasons behind road accidents. Death rate due to road crashes increases during Eid journeys every year. Many people lost their lives in road accidents during Eid journeys in previous years. Apart from bus or other transports, a large number of people with their family members leave capital Dhaka by their private cars or microbus. However, many people’s pleasure journey turns into tragic tale every year.
Vigilance teams should start working to ensure smooth journey for the home-bound people during the Eid-ul-Fitr vacation immediately. The authorities concerned will have to ensure that no unfit vehicles become the cause of road accident and traffic congestion on the roads and highways. Also, relevant authorities must complete the road repair works across the country immediately.
