Road, rail, waterway accidents take 652 lives in May
At least 652 people were killed in road, rail and waterway accidents across the country last month (May) with the road accidents alone taking 614 lives. Besides, around 1,196 people were also injured in some 597 road accidents in May, according to the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB). At least 48 railway accidents took place in the last month, leaving 35 people dead and 14 others injured, it said.
On the other hand, at least nine people died and 10 others were reported missing in seven waterway accidents throughout the country in the last month, the PWAB said in press release. Of the total, motorbikes were involved in 233 accidents, leaving 256 people dead and 201 other injured. Besides, motorbikes were also responsible for about 39.02 per cent of the total road accidents, 41.69 per cent of deaths, and 16.80 per cent of injuries, it said.
The highest number of accidents was reported in Dhaka division with the number of deaths and injuries reporting at 148 and 271 respectively. In contrast, Barisal division witnessed the fewest number of road accidents with 30, causing 30 deaths and 44 injuries. The number accidents and casualties were compiled by the PWAB's Accident Monitoring Cell, based on reports from national, regional, and online newspapers.
Among the victims in May, two were police officers, one army personnel, one fire service member, two doctors, one freedom fighter, 142 transport drivers, 95 pedestrians, 59 women, 54 children, 66 students, 34 transport workers, five teachers, and seven political activists. About 29.41 per cent of the total 945 vehicles involved in road accidents were motorcycles, followed by were trucks pickups, covered vans and lorries with 22.53 per cent, buses with 12.48 per cent and battery-run rickshaws or easy bikes with 14.17 per cent. CNG-run auto-rickshaws were involved in 6.66 per cent of the accidents, followed by Nasimon, Karimon, Mahindra tractors, or legunas with 9.31 per cent and private cars, jeeps and microbuses with 5.39 per cent.
According to PWAB, the major causes behind such road accidents include the uncontrolled movements of motorcycles and battery-run rickshaws on highways, absence of road signs, markings, and sufficient road lighting at nights, absence of turning indicators on national and regional highways, and poor road designs. Other contributing factors include faulty road construction, mechanical issues in vehicles, violation of traffic rules, wrong-way driving, extortion on roads, and carrying passengers in freight vehicles. The PWAB also held unskilled drivers, unfit vehicles, overloading, reckless driving, and excessive workloads of drivers along with their long-hour driving responsible for the higher rate of accidents.
The association recommended an immediate ban on the import and registration of new motorcycles and battery-run rickshaws, and ensuring proper lighting on national and regional highways to help prevent accidents.
It also suggested steps for enhancing drivers' skills, introducing separate lanes for slow- and fast-moving vehicles, improving infrastructure, ensuring road-safety compliances, developing modern bus networks and enhancing the operational capacity of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).