210 road crashes in 5 months occurred on part of Dhaka-Ctg highway; reckless driving blamed
The 50-kilometre long Mirsarai-Chittagong stretch of Dhaka-Chittagong highway has become a dreaded route as 82 people have been killed in 210 road crashes here in the first five months of this year.
About 200 more sustained injuries in these accidents, according to newspaper reports.
Traffic experts said reckless driving, risky overtaking manoeuvres, lack of traffic signs at appropriate locations and roadside markets are the major contributors to these accidents.
Besides, ignorance of pedestrians and drivers about traffic rules and flouting the rules by young and new drivers lead to road crashes.
“Small vehicles, particularly the CNG-run three-wheelers, are driven by unskilled drivers. They keep criss-crossing the roads at every opportunity. It disturbs the drivers of large vehicles and ultimately causes accidents,” said Mainuddin Chisti, a bus driver. He has been plying the route for 25 years.
“Buses and lorries have to follow the maximum speed limit of 80 km/h and 60 km/h respectively, but the drivers do not follow the speed limit,” Humayun Kabir, officer-in-charge at Baro Awlia Highway Police Camp in Sitakunda, told The Daily Star.
Twenty-five cases were recorded in connection with the road crashes in the last five months. About 3,000 cases were lodged against drivers bringing unfit vehicles on the highway, he noted.
Many accidents go unreported as the families of the victims and transport owners settle the issue between themselves.
Humayun, however, rejected complaints that Highway Police neither check speed limits of vehicles nor monitor traffic regularly. “We use modern technology to track movement of vehicles on the highway, if any of those exceed the speed limit. Our members at highway check posts also check for drink-driving and fake driving licences.”
Contacted, traffic engineering expert Subhas Barua said in a country like ours, there should be a three metre shoulder on the side of a road.
The four lane Dhaka-Chittagong highway project, he suggested, should include road divider, overpass and underpass to avoid road crashes.
According to the statistics of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, about 14 lakh vehicles ply across the country, which require at least 28 lakh skilled drivers. But only 9.60 lakh drivers have valid driving licences, while around 18.40 lakh more are unskilled drivers without any valid licence.
Mrinal Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation (east zone) said the transport workers, especially drivers, cannot evade responsibility for the accidents and casualties on the highways.
“We have already conducted a research on the issue and identified 12 problems with the drivers including rash driving, tendency for overtaking, inexperience, lack of training and knowledge of traffic rules, and drug addiction,” he mentioned.
-With The Daily Star input
