Although Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is conducting harsher drives against the traffic rules violators in the capital, motorcyclists have been constantly breaching the traffic rules and regulations, putting their lives, pedestrians and others at risk.
According to available statistics of DMP, on an average about 700 cases are being filed against motorcyclists and 40 to 50 motorbikes are being seized a day for allegedly violating traffic rules.
On Tuesday, DMP’s Traffic Department in a daylong drive filed 783 cases against motorcyclists and confiscated 51 motorcycles on charges of violating traffic rules, reports BSS.
Experts say the unruly motorcyclists cause accidents, violate traffic regulations and even create nuisance to pedestrians by driving motorcycles on footpaths and wrong-way due to lack of proper enforcement of traffic rules and in absence of strong monitoring.
Many of the owners even do not register their motorcycles with Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and often use their motorbikes in committing crimes, they said.
“The traffic police seize 30 to 50 motorcycles a day and file over 700 cases against motorcyclists. But, the plight of careless youngsters’ driving illegal motorcycles and endangering lives continue,” a police official said.
Observing that most of the bikers are teenagers who perform acrobatic stunts to show off in front of their peers, he said there are tens of motorcycle drivers in the capital. “We cannot send the entire force to chase and arrest all the bikers who are violating traffic regulations.”
The frequent seizure of these vehicles has caused another problem as the yards police stations are being occupied with motorcycles, he said.
Earlier on May 1, two motorcyclists were killed as their motorbike overturned on the road in Hatirjheel area in the capita.
Two motorcyclists were also killed when their motorbike skidded off the road while approaching Mayor Mohammad Hanif flyover at Dholaipar point in the old part of Dhaka on March 17.
Deaths of motorcyclists have been taken place outside the capital at regular interval. Two motorcycle riders were killed and another was injured as a human hauler, a locally-made passenger vehicle, hit the motorcycle in Sullah upazila of Sunamganj district on May 17 last.
Three motorcyclists were killed and one was injured in a head-on collision between two motorcycles on Dinajpur-Gobindaganj highway April 29 last.