We failed to reduce road accidents despite years of hard work: Quader
He also directed relevant departments to make sure every driver has a valid license and that they are fit to drive
Despite 10 years of hard work, there is still a lot to do to restore order on the roads, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.
"We have developed a lot of infrastructure with new bridges and roads. But even after all that, we have failed to bring down the number of road accidents and it remains a significant challenge for us," he added, attending an event on the occasion of National Road Safety Day, organised by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).
Stressing the importance of curbing the number of road accidents, Quader said everyone must abide by traffic guidelines. He also directed relevant departments to make sure every driver has a valid license and that they are fit to drive.
The fitness of vehicles must also be ensured, he added. Quader also said the increasing number of motorcycles on the roads is quite a nuisance.
Agreeing with the minister's statement, Prof Md Hadiuzzaman, director, Accident Research Institute of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, said, "Motorcycles being prone to road accidents, more young people are victims of road accidents as they make up the majority of motorcycle riders."
Actor and Activist Ilias Kanchan, chairman of Nirapad Sarak Chai, said if drivers were more careful about speeding, the rate of accidents could be brought down by at least 25%.
However, Osman Ali, general secretary of the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, said all road accidents are not caused by drivers alone.
He said there are a lot of accident-prone areas on the road and those contribute to road accidents just as much.
In response, Md Nazrul Islam, secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division, said the accident-prone areas have been identified and work is underway to fix them.
