Eid holidaymakers in for a rough ride

Thousands of Eid holidaymakers may suffer due to traffic congestion, shortage of vehicles and poor condition of roads if the authorities concerned do not take measures immediately, said Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity yesterday.

The passenger welfare association observed that one-fourth of roads are dilapidated, and the number of bus, train and water transport is inadequate compared to the number of passengers.

As traffic congestion has already been seen in some major highways and intersections, poor condition of roads may deteriorate the situation even further, said the association at a roundtable held at Jatiya Press Club.

At the same time, many unfit vehicles and three-wheelers will be operating on the highways to fill up vehicle shortage, it said. Furthermore, buses will start speeding to make more trips, which will escalate the risk of accidents.

To reduce sufferings of holidaymakers, the association recommended that the government strictly implement ban on unfit vehicles, restrict operation of three-wheelers and motorbikes on highways, evict markets from roadsides, and stop overloading of vessels.

Jatri Kalyan Samity Secretary General Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury said though the condition of roads is better than previous years, about 26 percent roads [5,000km] are dilapidated as per the data of roads and highways department.

“Approximately 1.15 crore people will leave Dhaka during the upcoming Eid vacation, while 3.9 crore more will move from one district to another… We don’t have enough roads and public transports to handle such a heavy load,” he said.

Around 44,374 buses, 27,962 minibuses, 177 trains and 4,250 launches will operate during Eid, he added. About road accidents, Mozammel said overspeeding, recklessness and unfit vehicles were the major causes of deaths on roads during last year’s Eid journey. Last year, 598 people were killed and 2,225 injured in 514 road accidents during Eid journeys, he said in a written statement.

Prof Mizanur Rahman, former chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said passengers’ safety is not a matter of generosity; it’s their right.

“Bangladesh is now a country of the rich, and it is protecting their rights. The country doesn’t care about the poor,” said Mizanur.

The Dhaka University professor urged the government to ensure transparency and accountability at all levels of its institutions, and formulate a separate act to ensure passengers’ safety through proper implementation of laws.

Mohammad Belayet Hossain, additional secretary of RHD, claimed that passengers will face less hassle in the Eid journey as they have taken several initiatives.