Why can’t road crashes be curbed?
The Road Transport and Highways Division has called a meeting tomorrow with the divisional commissioners and deputy inspector general of ranges to find out why the number of road crashes cannot be controlled.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri will preside over the meeting, where the chairs of BRTA and BRTC, chief engineer of Roads and Highways Department, all additional secretaries and joint secretaries of the division and the additional inspector general of highway police are expected to join.
Upon receiving their suggestions, the authority will go for tougher action to reduce road crashes and bring discipline to the roads, officials of the road ministry said.
Road crashes and fatalities increased by 60.28 percent and 40.33 percent respectively in the first three months of this year compared to last year, as per Bangladesh Road Transport Authority data.
At least 1,477 people were killed and 1,920 injured in 1,630 road crashes between January and March this year. The numbers were 1,051; 1,440 and 1,017 respectively in the first three months of 2023.
On April 16, a head-on collision between a bus and a pickup in Faridpur claimed 15 lives. The bus had no route permit, fitness certificate, or tax token, while the pickup carried people illegally.
The following day, a truck ploughed through several vehicles in Jhalakathi, killing 14 and injuring 12 others. The man driving the truck did not have the licence required for heavy vehicles.
A probe into the road crashes found either the vehicles had no fitness clearance, the drivers had no valid licence, or the road had issues.
Contacted, Amin Ullah said they have been conducting daily mobile court sessions.
"Although we are taking action, road crashes are not coming down. We are going to hold the meeting to know why this is happening," he told The Daily Star yesterday.
An official of the division said there are road safety councils at district and upazila levels under the leadership of deputy commissioners and UNOs.
Besides, police enforce traffic laws at district and upazila levels too, he said.
Divisional commissioners and range DIGs are supposed to monitor these works, he said, adding, "The meeting is going to be held to know whether there were any problems there and strengthen the monitoring."
In March 2019, a committee commissioned by the government provided 111 recommendations to decrease road accidents and instill order in the transportation sector. Subsequently, a task force led by the home minister was established that year to execute these recommendations, yet despite holding numerous meetings over the past four years, nearly all the suggestions have gone unimplemented.
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