Greedy bus owners, reckless drivers, helpers cause Bangladesh road accidents: judge

A judge has called for reining in the greed of the bus owners and recklessness of drivers and helpers, describing these as the main cause of road traffic accidents in Bangladesh.

Transport owners must eschew the mindset of earning extra money while workers must show more respect to the law, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayes has observed.

The judge made the observation in a verdict on Sunday on the deaths of two college students in the Airport Road crash involving two Jabale Nur Paribahan buses on July 29 last year.

Enraged students from Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College vandalise a bus after two students from the same institution died in a bus accident on Airport Road on Sunday. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

“Crushing people under heavy vehicles without having BRTA-approved licence for these vehicles continues because there is no respect for people’s lives in the transport sector due to the practice of earning extra money. It appears that the people losing their life due to the drivers and helpers’ recklessness has become a trend, which must stop.”    

The accident triggered unprecedented student protests bringing Dhaka to its knees for a week, Judge Kayes noted.

He observed that the drivers and their assistants engage in races at stoppages as the owners set them high earning targets for extra profits.

“This is causing accidents and deaths regularly,” he said.

Kayes also observed that driving heavy vehicles with licence for light ones would not be possible if police had regularly checked licences.

He praised actor Ilias Kanchan for his efforts to raise awareness among all the stakeholders for road safety.

“Like him, we all must play a positive role in ensuring road safety within our own capacity,” he added.