The vital Chattogram-Cox's Bazar highway has increasingly turned into a perilous route due to widespread lawlessness, traffic violations, and extreme indiscipline by drivers. A recent visual assessment of the highway in the Shantinirhat area of Patiya revealed a dangerous scenario where narrow road sections are congested with unregulated vehicles operating in complete disregard of traffic regulations, severely threatening public safety.
Despite official bans on slow-moving and three-wheeler vehicles on national highways, battery-run rickshaws and CNG-powered auto-rickshaws are plying the Shantinirhat stretch openly. These unauthorized vehicles often driven by underage youth frequently maneuver unpredictably, cutting across lanes and picking up passengers from the middle of the road. This creates sudden obstacles for high-speed long-distance buses and freight trucks, multiplying the potential for catastrophic collisions.
Reckless overtaking and an unhealthy race among drivers to beat each other have become the norm along this corridor. Drivers of small pickup trucks and passenger buses routinely execute dangerous overtaking maneuvers on blind curves. In many instances, passengers are even seen riding precariously atop loaded goods vehicles, exposing themselves to grave mortal danger. The total absence of defensive driving habits at intersections leaves little margin for error when emergencies arise.
Motorcycle riders are equally notorious for flouting basic safety laws. A significant number of bikers and pillion riders cruise along the highway at breakneck speeds without wearing safety helmets. Instances of riding with one hand while using mobile devices or pedestrians darting across fast lanes through heavy traffic further compound the crisis. The lack of visible and stringent traffic enforcement on this regional stretch has emboldened reckless operators, allowing hazardous driving practices to flourish unabated.
Transportation analysts warn that if such rampant indiscipline on a premier national thoroughfare goes unchecked, the toll of road fatalities will inevitably rise. Merely sporadic drives are insufficient; what is required is a zero-tolerance policy against illegal highway vehicles, round-the-clock traffic policing, and strict punitive measures against rule-breakers. Widening narrow segments and removing unauthorized roadside structures are also paramount. Immediate, concerted administrative intervention is indispensable to restore order and safeguard commuters travelling along this strategic route.
