While the nation is worried about road accidents in the city, transport workers have said the uncertainty of their work tenure is pushing them to speeding, leading to frequent accidents across the country.
Many acknowledge that they speed, but place primary responsibility for accidents on impatient and unruly passengers and pedestrians, as well as vehicles suddenly entering main roads from feeder roads.
The workers said, they have to earn as much as possible, because, in the event of their deaths, their families will not be compensated and nobody will take care of them.
Statistics, recently published by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), revealed that more than 40% of workplace deaths occurred in the transport sector.
According to BILS, 1,002 were killed in workplace accidents, 424 of them worked in the transport sector. The information was collected from 14 national newspapers, and information gathered by their own staff members from accident sites.
Yusuf Al Mamun, deputy director (Information) of BILS said, the statistics included those victims among transport drivers, contractors, helpers, who were on the job at the time of the accidents.
BILS said, there were 117 more workplace deaths in the transport sector than last year; increasing the toll to 424 from 307, an increase of more than 35%.
The research institute said, since they started collecting information from several newspapers in 2009, the number of deaths in the transport sector has increased 17 times.
In 2009, they found 26 reports of workplace deaths in the transport sector. The number is now 424, around 17 times higher from when they began recording the data.
Another NGO working on occupational safety, the Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE), reported that 898 workers were killed at workplaces, and 281 of them were working in the transport sector. More than 30% of the workers killed on the job are in the transport sector.
OSHE compiled the figures from 15 national newspapers, and from information collected by their own staff members from accident scenes.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Shariful Islam, a conductor of a local bus, said: “We are working in a place where no one cares about us. I could be fired at any time. And, if I die or am injured, no-one will take care of my family or help us during the recovery period.”
Local bus driver, Mohammad Sujon, who previously worked as a Gabtoli-Mohakhali human hauler driver said, drivers go to work knowing that they have no security at all.
“If we do not make enough trips a day we are not paid. If there is an accident, we suffer. Nobody will stand beside us.”
Asked about reckless driving, he said they are paid on a daily commission basis, and if they fail to make enough money, they go unpaid. So, they are forced to drive fast, even in heavy traffic, to complete trips, and to maximize the number of trips as much as possible.
Regarding road signs, he said: “We do know about them much. In fact, when drivers think about their salary and their family, they become all the more reckless.”
“If you are ensuring punishment for my mistake without ensuring my job security, my salary security, my future, then how can I drive safely?” he asked.
What experts and rights activists say
Abul Bashar, organizing secretary of Bangladesh Inter-district Truck Driver Union, and Osman Ali, general secretary of the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, said they are demanding that the Labour Act be implemented for the transport sector, and that the workers be brought under the collective agreement so that they can avail rights under it.
However, no effective measures have been taken to ensure their rights, they added.
Abdul and Osman told the Dhaka Tribune, that following accidents, they give some money to the victims' families from their union fund, and collect money from their members; but that the amount barely meet the families' needs.
Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (BJKS) Secretary General Mozammel Hoque, replying to a question, said after every accident the drivers and helpers are blamed. However, several issues related to drivers' rights can cause accidents.
That is why BJKS has repeated that all the drivers and helpers should come under a specific agreement, life insurance should be provided, and most importantly, their salary structures should be ensured so that they can drive with a secure frame of mind, he added.
OSHE Executive Director, AR Chowdhury Repon said, the existing Labour Act only applies to the formal sector. The informal sector workers have no way of ensuring their rights regarding safety and compensation.
To bring about discipline on the roads and ensure passenger safety, drivers' safety must be ensured, he added.
Accident Research Institute Assistant Professor, Saifun Newaz said, the transport workers are yet to come under the Labour Act and as such they remain out of labour welfare benefits.
If their job security were to be ensured, and their salaries be set, they would never have to race on the roads; the number of accidents, and fatalities from accidents, would decrease, he added.
Salauddin Mahmud, Deputy Director of Department of Labour said, they too realize this, and recommendations have already been made to the ministry to make the transport sector a formal sector.
He did not say when it would be done, but said: “They are trying to bring the sector under the formal sector to ensure safety for all and a safe workplace.”