A young couple’s dreams crushed under a bus

Unfortunately, there has been no letup in traffic accidents and death and injuries therefrom. Although the total number of road accidents in 2020 was fewer than the previous two years due to the pandemic, nevertheless it claimed the lives of nearly 5,000 and left as many injured across Bangladesh in 2020, according to a study. Deaths are always painful, but when the unfortunates are young people whose lives are cut short abruptly by errant bus drivers, it is even more excruciating. The circumstances of their death betrays the utter disregard for law and the sense of impunity that these drivers harbour. On January 18, a young couple who were on their way to work on their motorcycle was hit by a bus of Ajmeri Glory Paribahan from behind. This is the third killing that a bus of the said transport company has been involved in, in the last two years. What is outrageous is that instead of stopping after committing the accident, the bus driver attempted to escape, and in trying to do so, crushed the unfortunate couple to death. While this happened in Dhaka, another unlucky couple met the same fate in Chuadanga the same day.

Despite the formulation of a new road transport law, although very much diluted due to pressure from the very powerful syndicate of bus owners and drivers, it has not been forcefully and effectively applied. Today the drivers, of the private transport companies in particular, have become so reckless that they can, without fear or remorse, drive their vehicle over the helpless bodies that it has just knocked over on the road. This couple might have survived had the driver shown some compunction for human lives. He didn't. The owners of the private companies have become reckless too, caring little about the laws. Untrained drivers, driving licenses obtained through back doors and assurances that the law would not get to them because they have the blessings of the politically powerful, have contributed to road accidents and fatalities. Studies have further revealed that heavy vehicles contribute most to road accidents.

Unfortunately, road accidents and deaths will continue to occur unless the laws are honestly applied, unless the transport sector is relived of the control of politically powerful syndicates, and unless the errant drivers and owners are made examples of.