Experts and rights activists have claimed that reckless driving, talks on mobile phone during driving, dilapidated road conditions, narrow and zigzag shape of paths, plying of unfit vehicles, and risky bridges and culverts are leading causes of tailback and fatal road accidents.
They alleged that connecting roads with national highways, roadside markets and educational and religious institutes also play a role to the occurrence of road crashes and traffic jams.
The countrymen now feel fear of journey on highways and inter-district national roads focusing on the unbearable traffic jams and regular mishaps in recent months.
In this context, many people, including job seekers, have started their journey by train, launch and even plane instead of lands to avoid as usual accidents and tailback, said Sitangshu Chakrabarti, Station Manager of Kamalpur Railway Station.
Bangladesh Health Injury Survey (BHIS)-2016, reveals that on average, at least 64 people reportedly die every day from injuries suffered in traffic accidents while the genuine figure is more than three times of the government report.
At least 2,297 people were killed and 5,480 injured in road accidents in the last six months, a sharp rise in the death toll compared to the same period last year, said an organisation campaigning for safety in the transport sector.
Road Transport and Highway Division, which surveyed 16,621 km highway and road last year, found 79.6 percent of national highways in fair or good state while the rest were in poor, bad and very bad conditions.
The survey conducted between February
and May also found 30.79 percent of regional highways in poor, bad or very bad states and 46 percent of the district roads in similar conditions.
National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) in a report said casualties in road mishaps has increased by 18.35 percent and the number of accidents increased by 8.6 percent in last six months.
According to the BRTA sources, more than seven lakh motorbikes and 14 lakh vehicles are plying on the street. Out of this, 5-6 lakh public carriers are also included.
“We need to follow the traffic rules to reduce road accident across the country, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said this at a programme tilled ‘Drive car carefully, back home safely’ in the city on Sunday.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) arranged the ‘National Road Safety Day’ for the first time in the history of the state with the direct indication of Prime Minister, the minister said.
He cited that the Prime Minister has taken ‘Action Plan’ for reducing the number of deaths and injuries in road accidents to half of the present within 2020.
Ilias Kanchan, Founder Chairman of of Nirapad Sarak Chai, said, “My wife Jahanara Kanchan was killed by road accident on this day (October 22, 1993). We are fighting against the road accidents according to our support.”
The Prime Minister Office (PMO) ensured that the government will arrange a six-month long training course for 100,000 new drivers.
Dr Moazzem Hossain, Director of Accident Research Institute at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), said, sufficient training school for the drivers is a must to reduce road accidents.
Mohammad Mahbub Alam Talukder, Professor BUET, said, “Accidents have increased due to use of cell phone and headphones on the streets and rail tracks.”
Kazi Md Shifun Newaz, Assistant Professor of Accident Research Institute of BUET, said, road crashes takes place for three main reasons — dilapidated conditions of road and their faulty design, unfit vehicles and untrained drivers and unawareness of road users.
