Drug addiction among commercial drivers across the country, including Dhaka, is growing at an alarming rate and is one of the major reasons behind road accidents, police and transport leaders said.
No system for detecting the presence of drugs in drivers is in sight. The High Court gave a directive to put in place such a system almost two years ago.
It is possible to detect alcohol use among drivers, but Bangladesh does not yet have a detection mechanism for Yaba or any other addictive drugs.
Over half of the commercial drivers across the country including Dhaka are addicted to drugs, transport owners and leaders have alleged. Drug addiction has become a serious concern for the authorities and the transport owners as reckless driving was pushing up the number of fatal road accidents.
Stakeholders say drugged-driving, a common habit among drivers of commercial vehicles and transport workers, is leading to road accidents in many cases.
According to transport owners, a large number of Dhaka's drivers and their assistants, who operate around 50,000 public transport vehicles, are drug addicts. However, they said the number is decreasing gradually.
Currently, the road transport authority only conducts a medical test on the professional drivers which does not include any test on drug detection.
Although no specific study is available about the number of drug-addict drivers in Bangladesh, the Accident Research Institute (ARI) at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) analysed data obtained from the police. The analysis shows a downward trend regarding addicted drivers.
"As per the data, about 10 per cent of drivers use drugs," according to police. "However, the numbers are still very low and not realistic, as private organizations have found the rate of drugged drivers stands at around 80 per cent."
The availability of drugs at bus terminals, truck stands, and bus stations is a common reason behind the high number of drug users.
A driver, wishing to remain anonymous, told the Daily Observer that drivers feel dizzy in the afternoon, and they also need drugs to deal with the constant heat of Dhaka. "Most of us drive vehicles for 12 to 16 hours a day though the labour law limits the timeframe to eight hours," he said. But, Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury claimed that at present some 85 to 90 per cent drivers of the city-service buses and around 50 per cent drivers of the long-route buses were addicted to drugs.
On June 20 in 2019 the High Court ruled that the drivers must be tested for drugs and eyesight before they were given driving licences and while driving in order to check accidents.
According to Department of Narcotics Control Director General said they will purchase drug identification equipment (detection machines) in the next fiscal year.
