Reckless bus drivers
Photo: Amirul Rajiv
I would like to thank The Daily Star for its recent articles on the recklessness and carelessness of the bus drivers in Dhaka. As in many other cases, I feel good that even in our society we have the writers in DS to be on our side, the public. Now, before I move on, I want to inform the readers that recently my car was hit by a bus on the airport road and as usual the bus fled the scene without any regard for me or the law. Surely, I could rely on the police not to come to my aid. The bus was coming so fast that it failed to slow down as I was slowing at the turn right after the Radisson Hotel before reaching the rail crossing going towards Banani. I can only think of the horror and get sickened and disgusted by the utter ruthless behaviour of the bus driver. He did not even bother to slow down, let alone stop after hitting my car from behind which broke the entire back of the car including the rear window and threw the car to the side of the road from the right most lane. So, I know first hand how it feels to be neglected by the bus drivers who seem to have the highest power in the city. The question is: who is giving them this power? For some unknown (as in almost all other cases in our country) reasons, the bus drivers in Dhaka city seem to have been given a 'life time permit' to drive at will with no regard for human life whatsoever. How long will we be waiting and how much worse do these irresponsible, uneducated, rude, ill-mannered (I could go on and on) bus drivers (how are they getting the driving licence?) have to get for us to take ANY action against them? It almost seems as if the bus drivers are above every traffic law. While we often observe the traffic officers on duty are busy stopping private cars to 'check' documents; they somehow always manage to overlook the rowdy and unruly actions of the bus drivers. There t seems to be an understanding that “you don't bother us and we will take care of you” between the bus drivers and the traffic controllers. Now, as usual, I feel despicably helpless as to whom we can complain and go for justice. Do we not live in an independent country with a 'democratically' 'elected' government? And is the government not 'for the people, of the people and by the people'? I urge everyone to please take steps to curb the bus drivers' actions and be united against them. Help a fellow citizen when hurt by any bus driver's reckless driving. Protect the interest of the public by stopping any fleeing bus from the scene of an accident. Force the bus driver to stop only at bus stops and not anywhere and everywhere they feel. Let us show our strength. Surely, I am not urging you to fight. And to the dear law enforcers: PLEASE ENFORCE THE LAWS. And to the Daily Star: Please keep writing and keep pushing pressure on the authorities to be decisive and take the right actions even if they are not the popular ones.
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