THOUSANDS travel to outlying areas from the capital to celebrate Eid with friends and family and the journey almost always remains risky. This was no different this Eid. Road accidents left at least 41 dead and numerous others wounded across the country during Eid holidays. In an accident at the Chunti Jangalia point on the Chattogram鈥揅ox鈥檚 Bazar Highway on April 2, a family of five died along with 11 others. At the Chunti Jangalia point, 16 people died and 20 others became injured in separate accidents on three consecutive days since March 31. The actual number of death, however, could be higher, as many incidents may not have been yet reported. Traffic movement on the highways is reportedly at relative ease this year as there have been no serious congestion or other disruption, but the staggering number of deaths suggests that the government has failed to prevent road accidents.
The extended holiday for nine days was expected to lessen the strain on road journey this year, but the condition of highways, especially the ongoing expansion work on two major routes, Dhaka鈥揝ylhet and Tangail鈥揜angpur, used for travel to at least 30 districts. The four-lane expansion work taking place between Narayanganj and Narsingdi on the Dhaka鈥揝ylhet route has already become a major cause of public sufferings. Auto-rickshaws on highways have also added to high road fatalities. The government has taken various steps, including enhanced highway patrol, mobile courts to prevent extra fare and train ticket sales online to ensure a safe and hassle-free journey for passengers before Eid. Experts and passenger rights campaigners, however, consider such steps to be cosmetic and inadequate. They say that without addressing the perennial problem in the transport sector, it would not be possible for the government to suddenly guarantee a safe journey during Eid. Earlier investigations show that accidents take place because the drivers on the long route are overworked and exhausted. The authorities concerned blame the shortage of skilled drivers for the situation. No major initiatives are, meanwhile, taken to train new drivers. Similarly, the railway does not have adequate human resources or carrying capacity to handle Eid rush of home-goers.
The government should, therefore, address the persistent problem in the transport sector. It should address the systemic concerns in the sector that include a strict oversight against illegal battery-run three-wheelers on highways. Long-route drivers should also be given adequate rest. The government should overhaul the railway by investing more in its infrastructure development. To be more specific, the government should focus on bringing long-term changes in the transport sector.
