Festivals inspire millions of people to return to their hometowns, reconnecting with family and loved ones. Yet, for far too many, these journeys end not in celebration but in grief. Traffic congestion, reckless driving, and road crashes continue to cast a dark shadow over festive travel, claiming hundreds of precious lives each year. Where responsibility should stand alongside every journey, negligence has instead taken root. In the rush to reach home, reason and caution often disappear, leaving behind only sorrow. This cycle of tragedy must end, and the light of responsibility must guide every road user toward safer travel.

Festival seasons witness one of the largest population movements in the country. This mass migration depends on an interconnected system involving transport operators, vehicle owners, drivers, passengers, and road infrastructure. Excessive speed, the relentless pursuit of profit, and irresponsible behaviour from both drivers and passengers remain among the leading causes of road accidents. Public awareness of speed limits, safe driving practices, and the maximum hours a driver should remain behind the wheel remains inadequate. Likewise, many people lack a proper understanding of vehicle capabilities, road conditions, and the importance of adhering to traffic regulations. Building a culture of road discipline will require sustained effort and commitment.

As demand for transport rises during festivals, so does the pressure to maximise profits. Vehicle owners often expect drivers to complete additional trips, forcing them to spend excessive hours on the road. More trips mean higher speeds, greater fatigue, and increased risks. In many cases, exhausted drivers hand over the steering wheel to assistants who lack proper training or authorisation. While such practices may generate greater income, they do so at the cost of human lives.

This dangerous cycle is further aggravated by unfit vehicles and unlicensed drivers. Vehicles are often treated solely as income-generating assets, while little attention is paid to their roadworthiness or the competence of those operating them. Mechanical inspections are frequently delayed, and designated drivers are seldom assigned to specific vehicles. Instead, steering wheels change hands with alarming ease. Many vehicles continue operating until they become completely inoperable, reflecting a deeply rooted culture of neglect. Even city buses are often deployed on long-distance routes solely to maximise earnings.

The pursuit of excessive profit has created an unhealthy competition among transport operators. The focus remains on increasing the number of trips rather than ensuring drivers and vehicles are capable of operating safely. Given the heavy passenger volume, it is difficult for authorities to inspect every vehicle for fitness certificates and valid licences. Meanwhile, vehicles emerging from feeder roads frequently enter highways without observing traffic signals or reducing speed.

Responsible passenger practices are equally lacking. Boarding and alighting at designated bus stops remain the exception rather than the norm. Instead, passengers often risk their lives by getting on or off moving vehicles in the middle of busy roads. This encourages drivers to compete for passengers by making frequent unscheduled stops. To compensate for lost time, many drivers turn roads into virtual runways, forgetting that these same roads are often narrow, uneven, and filled with hazards.

Mobile phone use while driving—or even while crossing roads—has become another serious threat. In addition, illegal vehicles, untrained drivers, narrow roads, speeding, dangerous overtaking, overloading of passengers and goods, roadside markets, encroached footpaths, and widespread public negligence continue to contribute to daily road fatalities.

For transport drivers and their assistants, life is spent almost entirely on the road. From dawn until deep into the night, many remain behind the wheel, often sleeping inside their vehicles between trips. Their lives leave little room for family, social interaction, or personal fulfilment. Physical exhaustion, mental stress, financial pressure, and a lack of social recognition have driven some drivers toward substance abuse. Continuous neglect and disrespect have also prevented the development of a truly professional driving culture.

Every human life is invaluable. A single road accident can leave a family grieving for generations. Profit should never take precedence over safety. Ensuring road safety requires more than strict enforcement of laws; it demands responsible behaviour from transport owners, drivers, passengers, and every road user. Drivers must possess not only technical competence but also emotional stability, sound judgement, and complete control over their vehicles. Equally important is ensuring they receive the respect and dignity their profession deserves.

Alongside speed management, clear limits should be established regarding the number of hours a driver may operate a vehicle each day or week. In many developed countries, drivers are prohibited from driving continuously beyond prescribed daily limits. Bangladesh could adopt a technology-based monitoring system through biometric verification. Drivers could scan their fingerprints before beginning and after completing each shift, enabling a centralised digital platform to monitor working hours automatically and ensure compliance.

Transport owners must also demonstrate greater responsibility. They should never allow unlicensed individuals to operate their vehicles or permit mechanically unfit vehicles on the road. Vehicles assigned to one route should not be diverted to unsuitable long-distance services. Formal employment contracts should provide drivers with job security, encouraging professionalism and accountability while improving their overall conduct.

Passengers, too, have a role to play. Greater respect for drivers can help foster a stronger sense of responsibility within the profession. Professional training programmes, standardised uniforms, and post-retirement financial support for drivers and assistants could significantly improve morale. A simple greeting when boarding and a word of thanks when disembarking can help cultivate mutual respect. Passengers should also develop the habit of boarding and leaving vehicles only at designated stops.

Drivers should be made aware of the devastating consequences road accidents impose on families. The message is simple yet profound: It is better to live ten years longer than to arrive ten minutes earlier. Achieving this understanding requires not only responsible individuals but also safer roads.

Strict action must also be taken against slow-moving and unauthorised vehicles operating illegally on highways and expressways without valid permits or licences. The use of mobile phones while driving should invite severe penalties, including suspension or cancellation of licences and route permits where appropriate.

Ultimately, safer roads can only be achieved when transport owners, drivers, passengers, and regulatory authorities are united by law, ethics, and shared responsibility. Only then will the tears of festive travel give way to journeys marked by safety, dignity, and peace.

Author:
Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mia
Deputy Commissioner, Chattogram