Such disaster shouldn't happen again
HOW dangerously we live in Dhaka city is felt to the bones in the wake of Wednesday's dreadful accident at Moghbazar railway crossing. The frightful thing is the frequency of such accidents, this being the third time within a year in the city and twice in six months at Moghbazar crossing itself.
Even with our lowered risk sensibilities -- in order that we could keep functioning at all -- the man-made disaster at Moghbazar should go down as a learning experience that we make use of, and not squander. As for the government, it is a ringing call to duty.
Onlookers and TV footage watchers of a virtual horror-movie playing out with a speeding train ramming a bus as it came down crushing vehicles, thankfully without fatality, must have been shaken to their core. That by itself wouldn't, however, be enough to turn things around. From this point on, they should demand through as many forums they could get, remedial steps and must be prepared to do the part they are obliged to, instead of resting content with playing spectator, limiting themselves to expression of sighs and moans.
Some specific civic bodies in tandem with ward commissioners and local MPs should get a move on. Unfortunately, we have environmental activists but none to focus on safety hazards at railway crossings and along the rail tracks passing through crowded city areas.
For our part, we are suggesting three specific steps that can be taken by way of implementing an accident prevention strategy in the immediate term. First of all, it is of utmost importance that because railway crossings are placed on two-way thoroughfares, the cross bars on both sides are simultaneously lowered with two bars on each side clamping down. This will prevent any vehicle from crossing through the unbarred side which often happens. Secondly, some synchronisation will have to be effected between the signalling at the nearer traffic intersections and the signalling at the railway crossings. Especially, traffic policemen should be directed to hold traffic in spite of the automatic blinking of the green signal in response to timings of train movement. Traffic cops and railway signal personnel can have walkie-talkies to communicate. Thirdly, the authorities should install big red signals with high visibility and loudly ringing alarm bells on both sides of the level crossing with manpower at these locations increased. Last but not least, the car owners and vehicle drivers need to exercise caution and self-discipline to stop short at a safe distance from the bars. For, the Moghbazar incident could be entirely blamed on the driver who pressed forward and landed on the danger zone defying all instructions to the contrary.
There is another set of vulnerabilities which we would like to draw the attention of the government to. This relates to mushrooming of bazars and the different trades being operated on both sides of railway tracks going through crowded city areas exposing all sorts of people to mortal dangers. Accidents are just waiting to happen there. Something must be done about relocating such hazardous settlements.
Comments