Editorial
A spate of highway accidents
Lack of highway patrol underlined
Despite the increasing number of accidents on the highway, killing and maiming of people, and the repeated concerns expressed over culprit drivers being set free, not much effort is visible on the part of the authorities to redress the dire situation.
A BUET study reveals that the highway accident fatality rate in Bangladesh is more than 100 per 10,000 vehicles, this being one of the highest in the world. It is borne out by the headline on our Thursday issue: '16 dead and 18 injured' in separate road mishaps throughout the county in just the last two days.
This situation is strikingly similar throughout the country. Barely two-lane highway spaces are encroached upon by makeshift bazaars while drivers of vehicles, big or small, engage themselves in mindless races without the slightest respect for human lives.
Worn-out road stretches are vulnerable to accidents; rash overtaking manoeuvres add to the tally of fatal accidents in general, let alone the reality of over-loading and novice drivers at the steering wheel.
Officials of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, the only regulatory body other than the law enforcers, openly admitted that up to five lakh drivers ply vehicles without valid licences. Even drivers with valid licences are mostly unaware of traffic rules because the country lacks proper driving schools to train up drivers.
The 2000-strong highway police contingent was created in 2005 to secure the highways against crimes and prevent accidents. But they are to be rarely seen. Besides, they, being attached to the district police authorities, have no autonomous identity. They are ill-equipped as well. This is an area that requires immediate attention of the government so that there is no apology of a highway police force while accidents wait to happen.
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