Once again, a bus driver has caused the senseless death of two people -- one of them a mere child of nine.
We have seen this many times before -- this newspaper has repeatedly editorialized on the need to take stern action against bus companies and errant bus drivers, who are the main culprits behind deaths on the roads.
What is worse is that the bus driver and his assistant managed to flee the scene of the accident, as often happens in cases like this.
It is up to our law enforcement to identify and arrest the culpable driver, and bring him to account, which should be a fairly straightforward process.
But sadly, even the most obvious measures are often not taken in Bangladesh, with drivers fleeing the scene of fatal accidents never being found later; this pattern further emboldens bus drivers to drive irresponsibly on the road, knowing they will not be held accountable for mishaps.
Years after year, road fatality numbers pile up due to the terrible culture of impunity afforded to not just bus drivers, but owners of bus companies.
Vehicles ply our roads and highways without any regard for human life; buses are often seen cutting lanes, overtaking from the wrong side, holding up the traffic, or slamming into competing buses.
All in all, rarely do they seem interested in obeying traffic laws.
Enough is enough -- no one should have to lose their life due to pure negligence. It is time we learned to value human life, and treated road safety with the importance it deserves.
