We are horrified by the tragedy that occurred at the toll plaza of the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway on December 27, where a speeding bus rammed into three vehicles—a private car, a motorcycle, and a microbus—killing six people from two families. The CCTV footage of the incident shows a bus speeding towards the toll plaza and colliding with the vehicles waiting in queue there. Reportedly, the bus from Bepari Paribahan was operating without a fitness clearance for over a year, and the 26-year-old driver had no valid driving licence.

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Time to form a commission to ensure road safety

The transport sector in Bangladesh has been mired in chaos and a lack of discipline for decades, fuelled by a corrupt network of transport leaders, police, and politicians. This network has allowed unlicensed and unskilled drivers to operate vehicles, ultimately leading to an increase in road crashes and fatalities. According to the Road Safety Foundation, at least 37,000 lives have been lost in road crashes in the country over the last five years. While several measures, such as establishing lifespans for commercial vehicles, drafting regulations for illegal three-wheelers and enforcing speed limits, were taken by past authorities to enhance road safety, these decisions could not be implemented due to pressure from transport owners and associations.

The bus involved in the Mawa expressway crash reportedly had brake problems, and the driver had asked the owner to fix it. But the owner, instead of doing that, told the driver to "drive slowly." The bus also lacked a valid route permit and updated tax documents. And to operate it, the bus owner bribed a close associate of the imprisoned Shajahan Khan, a top transport leader and former Awami League lawmaker. This is a prime example of the lawlessness that pervades the transport sector.

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When will sanity return to our roads?

This unholy nexus of transport leaders, police, and politicians must be broken up. The government must make this a priority. While it should take steps to immediately implement the Road Transport Act, 2018, it should also take decisive actions to completely overhaul the sector. The adviser to the road transport and bridges ministry recently mentioned that they would take a "whole new approach" to reduce road crashes and deaths. We would like to see some concrete action from the ministry now. They can start by establishing a road safety commission to bring about the much-needed reform to the sector. As for the toll plaza crash, we hope the government will do everything in its capacity to ensure justice to the victims. No more lives should be lost on our roads and no more families should suffer lifelong devastation due to crashes caused by unfit vehicles and unskilled drivers.