On Jul 29, 2018, two school students were killed when a bus, locked in a race with another vehicle, lost control and ran over them.
Diya Khanam Mim and Abdul Karim Rajib died in the incident with 10-12 others injured. This tragedy triggered the safe road campaign, which spread all over the country.
Millions of students came out on the road with 9 points demand, including the resignation of the then shipping minister Shajahan Khan.
The students took the duty of traffic control, checked papers and forced vehicles to adhere to road laws. While students were not prevented in the beginning, later, when university students joined the movement, many were injured as a result of clashes with helmet wearing men.
During this time, a draft traffic law was passed in parliament with the provision that for causing death with reckless driving, the highest sentence will be five years in prison.
Situation came back to normal when protesting students were promised of the fulfilment of some of their demands. To ensure safe roads, several steps were taken by DMP and city corporation; though initially there were some improvements, the changes were cosmetic.
As per the information of non-government body, NCPSRR, there have been 1,495 road accidents between Jan 1 and Apr 30.
In this, 1,552 persons were killed and 3,039 injured.
It’s believed that reckless driving, allowing unskilled people to drive, wilful rule flouting by pedestrians are some of the causes of accidents.
Secretary General of Jatri Kalyan Samity, Mozammel Huq, said: “We have seen some discipline but many of the pledges regarding footpaths, zebra crossing and usage of underpass have not been fulfilled.”
To bring back safety, a genuine desire is needed from vehicle owners, which we do not see.
Since last year, several drives have been taken by the traffic police and during special weeks, steps were taken against drivers without licence, unfit cars, riding bikes without helmets, riding bikes with three persons, driving on the wrong side by influential people and unskilled drivers.
Additional police commissioner of DMP, Mofiz Uddin Ahmed, says: “We have done quite a lot in the last one year to raise awareness and feel, that there has been an improvement in the overall situation.”
The population and vehicles in Dhaka are rising every day and we have to work in such a situation, taking into consideration the realities, added the officer.
Mofiz Uddin feels that bringing a sense of discipline within pedestrians is the greatest challenge.
“If this is controlled then the situation will improve radically.”
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) technical engineer Anisur Rahman, observes: “From the city corporation, road markings, bus stoppages, zebra crossing and parking areas have been ensured; some other work is also under process and once done, the traffic condition will become better.”
General secretary of road transport owners’ association, Enayet Ullah, says: “We have a nation-wide and city-based initiative; safe roads and road discipline are two things. Currently, work is underway for road rationalization; once this is done, discipline will return.”