Blatant flouting of traffic laws

A back page photo in this newspaper published on Thursday highlights how futile traffic laws have become. The picture shows VIP cars, including a minister's car escorted by a police contingent going on the wrong side of the road in the midst of a long tail back near Ruposhi Bangla Motor. This is a mockery to the rule of law.

It would take a very brave traffic police to stop a motorcade carrying a lawmaker without facing serious repercussions. In contrast, we find a traffic police officer in Bangalore stopping the president's convoy to make way for an ambulance. If it can be done there, why can't it be so here?

Open flouting of traffic rules by the high-ups has repeatedly been highlighted in this paper but to little avail. Why do not traffic laws apply for government high officials and members of parliament? We staunchly believe that the law is to be obeyed by everyone regardless of their stature in society. Indeed, in October 2014, the High Court sought explanation from the government as to why it should not enforce traffic laws stating "no one should escape from the radar of law with impunity."

The ground reality unfortunately is that the traffic police are in no position except to look the other way when influential people openly violate the traffic laws. It is shocking all the more when those who make laws and those who are meant to protect the law, break it without remorse. Unless something is done about this, it will merely exacerbate the authorities' attempt to bring some order on the streets of Dhaka.