Govt unpreparedness reflected in Eid-time travel

EID-TIME travel has remained risky and hectic for years, this year being no exception. Travellers were stuck in congestion at ferry terminals as authorities have not made adequate arrangement considering the Eid-time rush of vehicles. Vehicles tailed back long on both sides of the Paturia–Daulatdia and Shmulia–Kathalbari river routes. Many trains left Kamalapur in the capital much later than the schedule. On Saturday, Ekata Express, bound for Dinajpur, ran two and half hours late. On Friday, according to reports, it took up to seven hours to cross the two-hour journey between Dhaka and Comilla as a 20km tailback stretched from the Gumti bridge toll plaza at Daudkandi to Elliotganj on the Dhaka–Chittagong Highway since the morning. A 25km traffic congestion ensued on both the lanes of the highway near Gazipur, causing immense sufferings to passengers, transport workers and cattle. When asked about the insufferable traffic at inland river and road routes in different parts, authorities have blamed the pressure of passenger and cattle-laden vehicles. An increased number of vehicles on the road are expected before Eid; yet, the authorities seem shockingly unprepared.

 The disarray and corruption in the transport sector has turned the festival a matter of anxiety than joy and festivity. According to Passengers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh, at least 339 people were killed and 1,265 injured in 277 road accidents at the time of Eid-ul-Fitr. The launch capsize during Eid is also not uncommon. At least 14 people, including seven women and a child, died when a launch sank in the River Sandhya in Barisal before Eid-ul-Adha in 2016. At the time of Eid-ul-Fitr, a similar disruption in ferry services was reported. We have written in this column how pressure of passengers and vehicles resulted into a queue of 10km lines of vehicles form Paturia Ghat to Tepra. The law enforcement agencies said that they have installed closed-circuit television cameras, deployed more police and Ansar personnel from Barabaria to Paturia on the Dhaka–Aricha road to manage traffic. While it is important to have increased security on the road before Eid, the problem at hand is not a security concern. The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation chairman said that they would increase the number ferries at Paturia. Clearly, the assessment of traffic situation before Eid proved flawed as passenger vehicles had to wait for hours to board a ferry.

Suffering on the road before Eid has become an annual event. It is unfortunate that the government has repeatedly failed to guarantee safe and smooth journey for Eid-time travellers. The government, under the circumstances, must give equal attention to all modes of transport to ensure that travellers are not dependent on the road only. It must also arrange adequate ferries for all terminals as the shortage of ferries remained a concern during Eid.

 

Courtesy: New Nation Editorial Aug 20, 2018