Highest deaths on roads: Political commitment needed to end anarchy
The people in Bangladesh have the simple wish that their loved ones return home safely at the end of the day. But the roads are becoming more dangerous for that simple matter. The government gave various assurances four years ago after the students agitated in demand for safe roads. Despite that, the anarchy and mismanagement have increased manifold. There is no stopping of accidents and casualties on the roads.
The picture of road accidents and casualties in 2022 from the Red Safety Foundation report published on 2 January is very alarming. According to statistics based on information published in the media, 6,548 people were killed in road accidents last year. The road was the deadliest at the time in four years. According to the report of Jatri Kalyan Samiti, road accidents increased by 19.89 per cent in 2022 compared to 2021. And death has increased by 27.43 per cent.
Besides non-government organisations, relevant agencies of the government also keep records of road accidents and casualties. These statistics are regularly released to the public. The aim is to create awareness among the drivers and passengers as well as the policy makers and concerned agencies of the government and the law enforcement agencies to take effective measures.
But the records simply remain on paper. Accidents and deaths prevail due to the failure of adopt up-to-date policies to establish order on roads and lack of enforcement and monitoring of laws. Each accident brings immense suffering to a family and creates human crisis.
Prothom Alo reported on 3 January, ‘Child dies in road crash while going to hospital for blood transfusion’. According to the report, a five-year-old child with thalassemia needed blood every month to survive. While going to hospital, the child lost his life in a bus accident. In February last year, a mother Mrinalini Sushil lost her six sons in road accident in Chittagong's Chakaria. She said, “Those who have lost children like hers will understand how difficult life is and, how much pain it inflicts.”
What Mrinalini said, isn’t this the wish of all the families who has lost a loved one in a road accident? Deaths in road accidents are not mere numbers, it needs to be recognised as a disaster for the family. It also affects the economy as working people are killed in most of the cases.
The research of various organisations including BUET revealed heavy and fast vehicles like buses, trucks and light and slow vehicles like motorcycles-easybikes, have been added to the public transport system on national and regional roads which increased the number of deaths in accidents in recent years. According to a study by the World Bank, Bangladesh is at the top of the world in terms of motorcycle accident deaths. According to Jatri Kalyan Samiti, 945 people were killed in motorbike accidents in 2018 while 2533 people were killed in 2022. A large part of it is teenagers and young people. The question is, how many more people will have to die for such wrong policies in the public transport system?
There has been enough discussion about why there is anarchy on the roads, what can be done to restore order and etcetera. Government has also issued instructions several times. But for the most part it remains limited to discussions. In order to reduce accidents and loss of life, order and proper management must be ensured on the roads. Is it possible to stop the anarchy on the road without political commitment?