Each year, millions of Bangladeshis eagerly head back to their hometowns to be with family, a centuries-old ritual that usually signals national celebration. But for countless of them, this anticipated reunion turns into an unspeakable tragedy. Road crashes kill hundreds, many of which are preventable and due to reckless driving and incessant traffic jams. It’s time we acknowledged that road safety is not solely a task for the police force – it’s the responsibility of transport owners, drivers, passengers and regulators alike.
We must confront a stark truth: road safety is not solely a matter of law enforcement. It is a shared, institutional responsibility involving transport owners, drivers, passengers, and regulatory bodies. When accountability fades, a culture of systemic negligence takes its place – and the cost is invariably measured in human lives.
The surge in travel demand during festivals places immense pressure on our fragile transport infrastructure. Unfortunately, this demand routinely fuels an unhealthy, unconscionable race for greater profits. More passengers mean more trips; more trips encourage higher speeds; and higher speeds exponentially increase the risk of fatal disasters. Transport workers are frequently forced to complete an unrealistic number of trips without adequate rest simply to meet aggressive financial targets set by owners. In the worst cases, exhausted drivers are replaced by unqualified helpers.
This cycle of excessive trips and speed may generate greater revenue for transport owners, but it comes at an unbearable human cost. The crisis is compounded by a compromised regulatory framework that allows unfit vehicles, poorly maintained fleets, and unlicensed drivers to operate with near impunity. City buses, which are entirely unsuited for highway conditions, are routinely deployed on long-distance routes, further compounding the hazard.
Another major challenge is the systemic lack of compliance with basic traffic discipline. Vehicles stop arbitrarily on busy highways to pick up or drop off passengers, creating bottleneck hazards. Drivers then attempt to recover lost time by speeding or aggressively racing against competing buses. The distraction caused by mobile phones among both drivers and pedestrians, the proliferation of illegal three-wheelers on national highways, roadside encroachment, and a blatant disregard for traffic rules collectively create a highly hazardous road environment.
And, we have to account for the human driving the wheel. The truck drivers spend harsh and taxing hours under great mental strain. Though they safely guide millions on roads across countries, they seldom enjoy the same level of societal respect or institutional safeguards that others do. Tiredness, acute stress, lack of financial stability and social dignity have made them susceptible to making wrong decisions. A system that cannot ensure the well-being of the people working in it cannot promise safe transportation system.
Bangladesh must adopt a technology-based monitoring system using biometric verification to record drivers’ working hours. By scanning fingerprints before and after each shift, we can digitally prevent excessive working hours and curb fatigue-related accidents. Transport owners must be held legally accountable. Vehicles must undergo rigorous, corruption-free fitness inspections. Crucially, drivers must be given formal appointment letters, job security and decent working conditions. Moving the sector away from an informal, daily-wage trap will inherently encourage professionalism.
Passengers, too, must foster a more responsible culture by respecting drivers, using designated stops, and discouraging reckless speeding. Standardised uniforms, robust training programmes, and post-retirement welfare schemes are no longer luxuries; they are necessities for professionalising the industry. Our educational campaigns must drive home a simple, sobering truth: arriving 10 minutes early is never more important than living 10 years longer.
Ultimately, slow-moving and unauthorised vehicles must be strictly banned from expressways, and stringent measures, including the immediate cancellation of route permits and driving licences, must be taken against habitual offenders.
A safer transport system requires a collective commitment to human life. When transport owners, regulators, and citizens all fulfil their obligations, our festive journeys will finally cease to be a gamble with death and become the safe reunions they were always meant to be.
The writer is a Deputy Commissioner, Chattagram
