THE collision between a train and a CNG-run auto-rickshaw at Ramu in Cox鈥檚 Bazar is yet another harrowing reminder of how unsafe and unregulated level crossings are. At least four died in the accident on August 2 when the Cox鈥檚 Bazar Express, headed for Dhaka, hit the auto-rickshaw and dragged it for about a kilometre. Railway officials say that the level crossing was unauthorised, with no barrier and no one to attend to. A sign post there warns users of its being unattended. The railway authorities as usual set up a committee to investigate the incident while local people had blocked train services for hours. The Parjatan Express had been stranded for three hours and traffic on the Dhaka鈥揅ox鈥檚 Bazar route was disrupted. The official response followed a familiar pattern: statements, committee formation and assurances, which appear largely vague. But the loss is permanent for the families.
What remains most troubling is not the existence of unauthorised level crossings, but the chronic dysfunction in how they are managed. There exists a dangerous ambiguity over who is responsible for securing and maintaining level crossings, with some falling under the jurisdiction of the railway, and many others being informally run or maintained by local government authorites. This jurisdictional overlap has enabled a persistent pillow-passing tendency, where each authorities deflect responsibility, citing lack of mandate or funding. In this vacuum, thousands of crossings remain ungated, unattended or with warnings, exposing people to risks. Although authorities continue to cite staff shortage and operational burdens, the crisis appears to be stemming from a lack of will to decisively reform and regulate the system. Experts have for years proposed a centrally coordinated, automated management system for crossings. The government in 2015 supported such a proposal, but the implementation has yet to be forthcoming. In the meantime, accident after accident reinforces the cost of inaction. The accident at Ramu is not an aberration but part of a well-documented, preventable failure. The continued loss of life reflects a failure not of resources but of governance and of a bureaucracy more inclined to form committees than to enforce safeguards.
The authorities should stop treating railway accidents as one-off events. They should act decisively to secure all level crossings immediately, regardless of their supposed jurisdiction, by implementing automated systems or deploying personnel to all crossings, ending the blame game that has cost countless lives. A proactive, nationwide strategy is badly needed to save lives and restore public trust in the railway.
