Editorial
Barabkunda railway tragedy
Need for guarded signalling at the crossings
The Barabkunda level crossing tragedy in Chittagong in which five persons in a jeep were killed as the Dhaka-bound train rammed into it is just another addition to the long list of similar accidents happening at different level crossings in the country from time to time.
In the Barabkunda accident, the bar at the eastern side of the crossing was missing, according to an official of the railway. Obviously, the guard was negligent of his duties, if at all anyone was there.
We wonder, why most of the around 1300 level crossings in the country (courtesy BBC) are being inadequately guarded, if at all.
At this point, we would like to draw a line between the level-crossings in the major cities like Chittagong and Dhaka and those in the outlying areas. And that is for the simple reason that the crossings in these cities have to negotiate heavier traffic flows than those in the other parts of the country.
The chief of one of the probe bodies formed to investigate the accident has spoken of the jeep driver's failure to follow traffic rules. But the task of guarding the signal there was of no less importance. The railway authorities cannot be unaware of what danger the unguarded level crossings pose to the traffic as well as the pedestrians.
To mitigate the problem, our first suggestion is that the railway crossings within a metropolitan area should operate a proper signalling system and each of the crossings should be manned by at least three guards, according to railway authorities.
Our second suggestion is this. The drivers as well as the owners of the vehicles should be made aware about the risks involved in careless and rash driving when the alarm bells at the crossings begin to ring. And there should be longer durations for bell- ringing so that vehicles may be warned off to remain at a safe distance from cross-bars.
These are the immediate steps to take. For the longer term, it would become necessary to create underground tracks through the busiest parts of the city.
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