Natore highway tragedy
RECKLESS driving coupled with disregard for traffic rules on highways has again taken its deadly toll as a Rajshahi-bound bus from Dhaka crashed into another bus coming from the opposite direction near Natore killing 33 passengers. The bus from Dhaka turned to the wrong side of the road while overtaking a truck causing the accident. An account of the accident from a passenger traveling in one of the buses provides yet another narrative of the tragedy: a third bus from Natore passing the spot at the same time had run over the victims of the crash-trapped buses.
We condole the deaths and urge speedy disbursement of compensations.
How life-threatening road travel has become can be gauged from reports which show that in this month alone, including the casualties of the present accident, 159 people have died in road crashes, while the toll this year till date stands at 1261.
The government has formed a three-member committee to probe this latest road crash. This is like locking the proverbial stable door after the horse has bolted.
While the authorities look into the exact circumstances of the Natore road crash, it must not fail to clamp down on reckless driving, especially the existing free-for-all on the highways. Two factors need urgent attention. One, disciplining traffic on the highways through regular patrolling. Two, the accident-prone road segments will have to be re-engineered.
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