No matter how close a foot-overbridge exists or how strict you become to discipline them, the jaywalkers will be right in front of your running vehicle! As the traffic signal goes green after agonising ten minutes and you change your gear, they start to cross the road taking all the time in the world. You arrest them and impose a fine of Tk 100, they would pay it and then do the same thing in the next intersection. Interestingly, the person who has criticised the government for years together would himself do it without any remorse.
In the past ten years, we have talked a lot about road safety and use of overbridges. The nuisance of jaywalking has been widely covered in the media and accordingly the traffic police department has conducted some awareness programmes in this regard. But once the awareness programme ends, everything goes back to square one.
Strict imposition
of law is the only
solution to stop the rot
According to traffic authorities, jaywalking is such a common occurrence in the city that majority of the people on the streets choose to walk straight through oncoming traffic. Using foot overbridges, foot paths and zebra crossing seems too much of a hassle, even if one’s life may come under threat for running across a busy road.
The newly added nuisance is motorcyclists recklessly driving through the footpaths or pavements to avoid traffic congestions. Since the advent of ridesharing business, the number of motorcycles has increased at least by 500 percent in the main cities. Many of the bike drivers have taken training for a week or two and as a result they often meet with fatal accidents. Already death report of drivers and passengers have been reported in the media.
Strict imposition of law is the only solution to stop the rot.
Read more: www.bangladeshpost.net
