The National Road Safety Day was observed in the country on Friday with the theme ‘Ain Meney Sorokey Choli, Nirapodey Ghorey Phiri' (Let us follow the traffic rules and return home safely). Different government and non-government organisations observed the day in the capital Dhaka, other metropolitan cities, all district towns and upazilas across the country.
Experts have long been reiterating their call to prevent road accidents and create a culture of obeying traffic laws in the country. The country is witnessing fatal road mishaps and many people are dying every day. Unhealthy competition among drivers and reckless driving, renting out buses on contractual basis, employing drivers without any license, lack of awareness among pedestrians, motorcyclists and small vehicle drivers, and tendency of overloading and overtaking among drivers are responsible for road mishaps.
It is high time that
Bangladesh took
stern actions against
reckless driving
Frequent road crashes indicates that no effective step has been taken to reduce road crashes yet. The promises given by the authorities concerned, transport leaders and other stakeholders only confine in the discussions or workshops marking the National Road Safety Day every year. But country’s people do not want to hear the news of tragic accidents every day. Such death is causing an irreparable loss to every family of the victims.
It is high time that Bangladesh took stern actions against reckless driving. Also, in order to ensure road safety for all, the design and quality of the roads and highways must be improved; unfit vehicles should not be allowed on the roads and campaigns must be conducted to raise awareness of traffic rules.
Drivers and other transport workers must receive training and motivation from all stakeholders before operating vehicles on roads and highways in order to reduce the tragic deaths on roads and highways. Besides, a continued awareness campaign and strict enforcement of traffic rules are urgently needed to bring discipline on roads and highways. Apart from these, all the stakeholders must put forth their concerted efforts to make roads and highways safer in the long run.