Speeding buses take another life
A recent spate of reckless driving by racing buses has cost the life of Nazim Uddin, a senior executive of the advertisement department of English daily Dhaka Tribune. Nazim, whose wife had given birth to their second child only five days ago, got his motorcycle knocked down on Mayor Hanif flyover by a bus from behind and then run over. We express our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and expect stern action against these murderous drivers. The police have impounded both the vehicles and cases will be filed against the errant drivers, but what we have been witnessing over the past few months is an unhealthy and dangerous rush to cut one another off in a bid to get to bus stoppages completely disregarding people's safety. Only last month we covered the tragic manner in which Rajib's hand got severed as he was caught between two buses. That young man succumbed to his injuries and then there was the case of a young lady who got her leg smashed by a bus.
The impunity with which bus drivers in the city ply their routes comes from the fact that the bulk of these drivers have neither any formal training nor valid driving licenses. This is an issue that has come up time and again but to no avail. While the cases of compensation keep piling up as the number of accidents caused by reckless driving increase, we question the lack of movement by authorities as to why this issue cannot be addressed. It is our firm belief that if bus owners are made to pay hefty compensation packages in case of such incidents, it will dawn upon the private transportation sector that it is more economical to have properly trained drivers to operate their buses who do not engage in such dangerous behaviour on the roads.
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