Watchdog suggests fencing rail tracks to stop accidents

A parliamentary watchdog has suggested fencing off the railway tracks on either side to stop makeshift markets from being thrown up again even after they are evicted.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 14 Sept 2014, 01:16 PM
Updated : 14 Sept 2014, 01:42 PM

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Railways made the recommendation on Sunday, three days after four people were killed when they were caught between two trains in Dhaka's Karwan Bazar.

Since then, railway authorities started an eviction drive both in the capital and Chittagong demolishing illegal shanties, shops and makeshift markets on and alongside the rail tracks.

The drive spilled into Sunday.

The panel's recommendation came at its meeting which was also attended by Railways Minister Md Mazibul Hoque.

After the meeting, committee chief ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury told bdnews24.com they suggested initially fencing off the rail tracks in Dhaka metropolitan and fringes of the city.

The measure may be spread to others areas in the country, he said.

The railway minister told the committee that the eviction drive will continue, he said, but pointed out that the makeshift markets were usually back on the tracks again after a few days.

That was why the committee recommended fencing off the rail tracks, Chowdhury added.

According to railway authorities, 238 people were killed in railway accidents in Dhaka alone during the past nine months – of whom 192 were male and 46 female.

Some were cases of suicide while many had perished in train-vehicle collisions.

'Curb electricity and repair costs'


The parliamentary standing committee has suggested the railway authorities curb the costs of electricity and repair works.

But the authorities claim their electricity bill is 'logical'.

Railway authorities say they were allotted a little over Tk 19.49 billion in the current fiscal year.

Of that, estimated cost for repairs is over Tk 5.86 billion, for fuel Tk 2.7 billion and for electricity bill it is Tk 700 million.

Apart from them, estimated operation cost is over Tk 5.8 billion.

Committee chief Fazle Karim Chowdhury said railway authorities said their contention was logical. But the committee discussed their illegal electricity connections which increased the bill, he added.

The panel has suggested disconnecting illegal connections to trim the bill.

Regarding the repair works, he said they suggested using or appointing efficient mechanics or firms to take care of the repairs and cut costs.