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Every time I try to cross the road in Dhaka, I feel that I am in training for an Olympic sport
Published : 28 Jun 2023, 07:30 PM
Everybody knows the joke about the chicken who crossed the road to get to the other side.
But every weekday in Dhanmondi, as I watch the rush of traffic chugging by and stare hopefully at the traffic policeman in the hope of a signal, I can't help but feel like that chicken.
When the sergeant languidly waves one lane of vehicles to stop and the other to go, I leap to action, hoping to reach the safety of the divider before I'm cut down in my prime. But, of course, the first line of vehicles does not stop for anyone, and the cars keep zooming by.
Few vehicles slow down for us hapless pedestrians to attempt a crossing, but most barrel onwards blindly, seemingly oblivious to the invention of the handbrake. The drivers may not intend to hit anyone, but their fear of the oncoming gridlock pushes them to rush.
It's a confounding and dangerous situation.
Why don't drivers know when and how to brake properly?
GIVE US A SIGN
In most countries, stop signs are used to designate the proper path through an intersection and ensure traffic moves along it reliably and smoothly. They also help pedestrians cross roads as vehicles slow before and after stop signs.
Bangladesh has a wide range of bilingual road signs. Regulatory signs (stop and give way, give way, no entry, no trucks, no motor vehicles, etc.), warning signs (T-junction, Y-junction, Sharp bends, etc.), indication signs (no through road, pedestrian crossing, parking place, etc.), additional signs (distance, school, flooding, etc.), and traffic signals (rail crossing signals, pedestrian signals) can all be seen on the streets.
But, in most areas, the signs are ignored. Many are not placed appropriately and even more are out of date, making them useless for regulating traffic. If the traffic sign needs of Dhaka's streets were adequately addressed, they would help to self-regulate traffic. Instead of long entanglements that require argument and anger to untangle, traffic issues could be handled naturally.
UNTESTED DRIVERS
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) typically runs with minimal staff, making it an inefficient service provider due to a constant lack of engineers and technicians (Munima, 2020).
The organisation cannot guarantee effective transportation services or route selection, nor can it ensure trained drivers for every vehicle category. Over time, the amount of work on the BRTA's plate has increased, but its workforce still needs to scale up accordingly.
This means the work is not done correctly, even when training drivers or monitoring examinations.
Drivers who lack proper qualifications and credentials are less conscious of their capabilities and limitations and can lead to less safe roads.
UNFIT FOR THE STREET
Another situation where the BRTA has been routinely criticised is its handling of vehicle fitness certificates and its registration of driving licenses.
Many vehicles involved in major traffic accidents did not have the necessary registration, essentially making them unfit for the road. Experts say they are a major cause of such accidents (Akhter, 2022). But, because of ineffective monitoring, enforcement, and issuing such vehicles and drivers are unleashed on the road.
Corruption among law enforcement, BRTA employees, and the politically influential also contribute to the carnage on our roads and highways.
LACK OF CONSEQUENCE
Many transport owners and workers don't feel the need to obtain authentic BRTA documents because they can get by just as easily by paying bribes.
Most traffic accidents are caused by careless driving, speeding, forced overtaking, infractions of the law, unsafe and unlawful competition, extended periods of continuous driving, impairment from drugs or alcohol, and driver incompetence (Razzaque, 2022).
When traffic accidents do happen, the offenders frequently have a chance to escape punishment. Few cases against drivers are prosecuted, and even fewer lead to jail time or serious consequences. Meanwhile, victims rarely get compensation or justice.
A MATTER OF MINDSET
However, not every accident is the fault of unfit drivers and vehicles. Pedestrians can be at fault too.
Pedestrians often fail to exercise due caution – such as looking both ways or waiting for signals – before crossing the street. In Dhaka, pedestrians regularly fail to use the overbridges set up for crossings, opting instead to make risky trips across busy roads to save time.
If pedestrians remain unaware of traffic rules and fail to follow them, it will lead to further accidents.
In some ways, we need a new mentality. One that values human life respects traffic laws, and does not try to cut corners to save time.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Traffic accidents are a significant cause of death and disability in Bangladesh. The majority of these accidents are predictable or avoidable. Bangladesh could save thousands of lives if it prioritised road safety and implemented evidence-based systematic measures to tackle these problems.
Maintaining, repairing, and modernising roads, installing dividers on national highways, installing warning signals for dangerous locations, widely disseminating information on driving and road safety through the media, and exemplary punishment for breaking traffic laws are just some ways the government can safeguard the nation's roads.
If these simple steps are implemented and maintained, we could see a drastic change on our roads and highways. And maybe I won't feel like a chicken preparing for the afterlife every time I step outside.
REFERENCES
Adhikary, Shubra T. ‘Unfit vehicles: 5 lakh still on the road’. The Daily Star. Feb 16, 2022.
Akhter, Shahin. ‘Unfit vehicles across Bangladesh on rise’. New Age. Mar 24, 2022.
Razzaque, Naimul. ‘Road Accident in Bangladesh: Issues & Legal Study. Journal of Social and Political Sciences. Jul 24, 2022.
Sultana, Munima. ‘Service recipients approach middlemen as BRTA virtually inefficient’. The Financial Express. Nov 2, 2020.
This article is part of Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication focusing on culture and society from a youth perspective.
