Civic leaders and concerned citizens of Khulna put emphasis on stopping irregularities in speed and fitness monitoring of vehicles on highways, including expressways.
In light of the recent tragic crash in Madaripur, which claimed lives of 19 people and left around 30 injured, the experts claim that there is no monitoring system on the highway and expressway to check the fitness of the vehicles and their speed.
Due to this, one accident after another is taking valuable lives.
The fitness status of the bus of Emad Paribahan, which was involved in the accident, expired two months ago. Still, the bus ran smoothly in Khulna city and surrounding areas. The bus was also seen plying on the Khulna-Dhaka route as well.
According to BRTA sources, the bus got its fitness certificate on January 16, 2022 and it expired on January 18, 2023.
Alarmingly, the same bus had another accident last year and due to that, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) suspended its registration. Yet the bus continued to ply the road, bypassing the law.
According to the law, driving an unfit or expired vehicle is punishable by imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of Tk25,000 or both, but it is not enforced.
This is why civic leaders and concerned citizens think that now is the time to stop the irregularities in speed and fitness monitoring of vehicles both on highways and expressways.
Greater Khulna Development Movement Coordination Committee (GKDMCC) President Sheikh Ashrafuzzaman said as there was no monitoring system on the expressway to supervise speed or fitness, such a tragedy happened.
“We do not have a monitoring system on highways, which also affected the expressways,” he said, adding: “The matter of fitness only exists on paper; it is not seen in reality.”
“It is not enough anymore to write letters or publish advertisements in the newspaper to stop reckless driving. It is now absolutely necessary to monitor the matter from the ground and take legal action. And if the lack of fitness is caught under direct supervision, no irregularity shall be done. At least, in this issue of life and death, those concerned should take a zero-tolerance policy,” he added.
GKDMCC Secretary General Sheikh Mohammad Ali said they will chalk down programs to monitor the reckless driving of bus drivers and stop the plying of unfit vehicles on the road.
Nirapad Sarak Chai (NISCHA) Khulna city unit President SM Iqbal Hossain said NISCHA has been carrying out the movement to make roads safer for people for a long time.
“Laws are being enacted as well, but we are still not seeing the implementation of those laws. As a result, frequent accidents are claiming hundreds of lives,” he said.
Ehteshamul Haque Shaon, a resident of Tootpara in Khulna, said that after Padma Bridge was inaugurated, a new trend started among the commuters.
“Most of the commuters started competing with each other about the time it took them to reach their destinations. If one says he reached Khulna from Gulistan in four hours, another says it took him only three and a half hours. As if life were not important here, only the time to reach the destination. Everyone is busy trying to find out who can reach their destination as fast as possible,” lamented Shaon.
“The safety of life has become insignificant due to reckless driving. There is no control, no monitoring system. Each bus company, whether it is Emad, Ena or Tungipara, competes with each other on the road to see how fast they can go. When will we get the guarantee of natural death?” he asked.
In BRTA Khulna circle, out of about 17,000 vehicles, 3,300 do not have any fitness, and that information was collected in February
Besides, 185 ambulances do not have adequate fitness.
These dangerous, unfit vehicles ply the roads regularly. Although there are traffic police at different points of the city, they do not inspect these vehicles.
However, Assistant Director (Engineer) of BRTA Khulna region Tanvir Ahmed said that they are conducting regular mobile courts, publishing advertisements in newspapers, and miking in the surrounding area to call on the drivers and owners to renew their vehicle fitness certificates.
Mohammad Tazul Islam, the deputy police commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police (Traffic Management), said that special operations are ongoing to find unfit vehicles.
“The police are on high alert to ensure that no unfit vehicles ply on the city road and highways,” he added.
