Adolescent drivers!

Adolescent boys are illegally driving tractors carrying goods on busy roads in the district, resulting in an alarming increase in the number of serious, even fatal, accidents.

Assistant Director of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) in Nilphamari Ythowainu Chowdhury said, “A driver must be at least 20 years of age to get a professional driving license, but many adolescent boys are illegally engaged in driving tractors carrying goods.”

“Eighty per cent of accidents are caused by unlicensed and adolescent drivers of tractors and three-wheelers. I have requested the authorities concerned to launch drives against them,” he added.

Sumon Ali, 16, son of Ekramul of Bogulagari village, said, “I have been driving a tractor for two years without a driving license.”

Another tractor driver Gojendra Roy said that he joined the profession due to extreme poverty, though it is more hazardous than driving other vehicles like minibus and microbus.

President of the district unit of Truck and Tank Lorry Workers' Union Golam Rahman Dalu said, “We've asked the law enforcement agencies to take stern action against underage drivers as many licensed drivers are now unemployed, but no steps have been taken as yet.”

Tractor owner Motiar Rahman said, “We don't engage underage boys as drivers. In some cases, we employ them as helpers who learn driving by seeing senior drivers and often driving vehicles when regular drivers take rest.”

Mostafizur Rahmam, an activist of 'safe road movement,' reported that a fatal accident took place in Dimla last month, killing two people, as a tractor driven by an underage boy dashed a rickshaw van from behind.

Traffic Inspector of police Nahid Parvez said, “Police are vigilant against underage tractor drivers, but some of them still run the vehicles by evading the police. The local administration and police launch mobile courts occasionally, but that is not enough to stop them.”