Road accidents on the rise in Ctg

A Chittagong-bound picnic bus from Cox's Bazar falls into a roadside ditch at Chunati under Lohagara upazila on March 26, leaving nine people dead. Photo: STAR

The number of road accidents is on the rise in Chittagong due to reckless driving and unfit vehicles.
Besides, traffic woes, bad infrastructures, lack of proper monitoring by the authorities concerned and stern action against the reckless driving are also reasons behind the accidents.
The unfit vehicles without fitness tests contribute much to the rise of road accidents.
A total of 42,655 vehicles, including bus, truck, auto-rickshaw and human hauler, dodged fitness tests until May 2008 while the number of registered vehicles is 1,17,814, said the BRTA Motor Vehicle Inspector Mohammad Shamsul Kabir.
He said the unfit vehicles cause road accidents frequently apart from depriving the government of handsome revenue every year.
“We would keep up-to-date the number of vehicles escaping the fitness certificate by June this year since the government gave an opportunity to renew them without any fine until June this year.
BRTA Assistant Director Masud Alam said tendency of violating the rules, faulty roads and unfit vehicles are responsible for the rise in the road accident.
He said they cann't punish the violators instantly due to lack of mobile court. He said a seminar will be organised next month for the drivers to create awareness among them about the traffic rules and the road accidents.
Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police Mainul Islam said only rules cannot reduce the accident and creating awareness among the drivers is necessary to reduce road accident.
“We are continuing our drives against the violators and fake licence holders regularly,” he added.
At least 99 people were killed and 173 injured in 101 road accidents within the BRTA Chittagong Circle stretching from Mirsarai upazila to Lohagara upazila from July 2008 to March this year, sources at Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Chittagong said.
Of the injured, condition of 95 were stated to be critical, said the sources, adding that the number might be higher as many of the accidents and casualties remain unreported to the BRTA.
In a major accident on March 26, nine picnickers were killed and 30 others injured when their speeding bus skidded off the road and fell into a roadside ditch at Chunati on Chittagong-Cox's Bazar highway under Lohagara upazila.
Teachers and guardians of Koichar Siddika Dakhil Madrasha and Fapor High School of Bogra Sadar upazila numbering 55 to 60 went to Cox's Bazar from Bogra on a pleasure trip and fell victim to the accident when they were returning.
Highway Traffic Inspector Suja Ul Haque told The Daily Star that the driver of the speeding bus lost his control over the steering and skidded off the road.
In another accident on February 12, nine students of Chittagong Government College were killed and 27 others injured when their bus also fell into a roadside 500-foot ditch in the Monar Tek area under the Bandarban headquarters.
Students of the Economic Department boarding on five buses went to Bandarban to enjoy a picnic and one of their buses met the accident at Monar Tek area when returning after the trip.
Sources said the bus started rolling back suddenly while climbing a hilly road and fell into the ditch as the driver saved himself jumping from the bus.