Karwan Bazaar road crash highlights city’s traffic mess

Wednesday evening’s fatal crash between two mini buses at Karwan Bazaar that killed a young man and left 15 others injured once again highlighted the extreme insecurity on the capital’s streets.
The two minibuses of ‘Gabtoli Mini Bus Owners’ Association’ were trying overtake each other on their way to Gabtali from Jatrabari when one just rammed the divider and overturned being hit from the rear by the other.
The accident also brought to the fore the anarchic picture on the capital’s streets created by unskilled drivers on the wheels of buses and the police’s tendency to overlook reckless driving.
The archaic system of daily payment of drivers’ wages on the basis of trips breed fierce competition to overtake as it would increase their earnings at the end of the day, said experts
Fatal accidents are not uncommon on congestion free segments of the capital’s streets where bus drivers get virtually mad to overtake as soon as they come out of jams that spoil their trip time.
Experts called for monthly payment of bus drivers’ wages to discourage reckless driving.
About 70 to 80 per cent of the road accidents occur across the country due to reckless driving, said BUET’s accident research institute director Tanweer Hasan.
The system of daily payment of bus drivers’ wages is a major cause of reckless driving, he told New Age.
Reckless driving occurs to maximize trips and the earnings at the end of the day, he said.
He said that the bus owners should be compelled to introduce monthly payment of drivers’ wages.
According to a database complied by BRAC advocacy for social change programme, 2,351 people were killed and 5,408 others injured in 2014 in 1,817 road accidents across the country.
The figures include, the death of 847 people in 550 bus accidents that left 4,070 others injured in the same year.
Safe road campaigner Ilias Kanchan said reckless driving could not be checked unless monthly payment of drivers’ wages was introduced.
Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation general secretary Osman Ali said that there were none to address their demands to introduce eight-hour working per day, increased wages for drivers and hiring drivers through appointment letters.
He said the road transport and bridges ministry was maintaining silence though the association raised the demands time and again.
Road transport and highways division secretary MAN Siddique told New Age on Saturday that the Bangladesh Labour Act required appointment of drivers through letters and 8-hour working day.
He said the transport workers should meet the labour and employment ministry with their demands.

- See more at: http://newagebd.net/125924/karwan-bazaar-road-crash-highlights-citys-traffic-mess/#sthash.DwFYydIv.dpuf