Lives of the residents as well as the strangers using the roads of the residential areas are increasingly coming under grave threat due to the illegal entrance of the killing machines like cargo trucks, buses and other heavy vehicles beyond schedule time. These killing machines have already snatched away quite a number of promising lives across the country. Dwellers of the residential areas of the cities and townships and also in villages are now constantly being haunted by these vehicles’ presence in the closest proximity their living spaces.

The existing traffic rules of the country strictly prohibit the entrance of trucks, buses and the similar types of heavy vehicles into the residential roads before 10 O’clock at night. Still then, trucks, buses etc. use the residential roads at their own sweet will anytime during daytime right before the eyes of the monitoring authority. It is alleged that the responsible authority assigned with the responsibility for ensuring traffic discipline allows these vehicles’ entrance in exchange for illegal gratification. The most horrifying manifestation of these killing machines is their terrifying speed they demonstrate even in the peak hour right in the middle of the busy residential roads.

Paying the least attention to the pedestrians’ security, these vehicles move on so desperately that the roads happen to be their leased property. According to a recent survey, at least 10 heavy vehicles enter into an exclusive residential road per three hours. Of course, the entrance frequency varies from one road to another depending on their importance in communication. Particularly the trucks carrying building materials like bricks, cement, MS rods, sand and the earth have already earned the notoriety of terror engines among the residents living by both sides of a particular residential road. Another survey report reveals that only in 2017 some 30 people become the hapless victims of these killer machines.

The report again says that children, adolescents and the old people are the most vulnerable victims of the hapless accidents caused by these killer machines. Particularly, the little children come out of their houses at any time beyond the notice of their parents.

The speeding loaded trucks knock them down in the twinkling of an eye. Similarly, the old people, too, most often are confused while crossing the roads. It is quite natural that the children and the old people behave as per their nature and it will be a foolish idea to expect saner on-road practices from them like the one expected from the mature adults. More importantly, it is such a behavior they are exposing not on the highway but on the roads where they are supposed to feel secure in principle.

It is the desperately reckless driving that is responsible for these accidents and the loss of innocent lives. How does a driver dare to drive so frantically on the residential roads in a civilized country? It is obviously due to the protracted culture of managing everything by means of money, political clout and social leverage. I

t is simply a matter of just a single day for the authority concerned to stop the illegal entrance and driving on the residential roads. The root of this destructive phenomenon is not far to seek. What I am actually trying to say is that the morbid drives for personal profits and gratification triumph over all other human and ethical considerations.

Nothing can be an issue of more serious concern than the issue of our safety and security. If we are not safe and secure even in and around the closest vicinity of our homesteads, there will be hardly any safer place left for us where we will move with warrantee cards of safety. In any civilized country like Australia, The Canada, The UK, the USA and even in our neighboring country India the safety of the residential roads are maintained with zero tolerance. Any incidents of non-compliances and deviations are sharply dealt with rigorous imprisonment and   monetary penalty. The incident of 10-day prison sentence for former US president George W. Bush’s daughter for drunk driving and the fine of UK’s ex-premier Tony Blair’s wife Cherry Blair for travelling train without ticket are still before us as the living examples of the rule of

 law.

We no longer want to see a single more life smashed down under the wheels of the killer machine. Time is fast running out for taking drastic action against the illegal tress-passers who are increasingly becoming desperate at the steering wheel. It is high time to stop the crazy drivers who are endangering our lives by entering our tranquil and secure residential roads with their killing engines in our vulnerable moments striking terror right in our hearts. Meting out punishment only to the men at the steering wheels is not enough to stop this phenomenon of illegal tress-passing. Their collaborators will also have to be brought to book in the soonest possible time.

The writer, an Assistant Professor of English at Bogra Cantonment Public School & College, is a contributor to

The Independent. E-mail:[email protected]