Lawmakers flout traffic rules: Obaidul
STAFF REPORTER
Many of the lawmakers of the country often violate traffic rules and travel on the wrong side of the roads, especially in the capital, said communications minister Obaidul Quader yesterday.
I personally call them when I hear such news and most of them tell me to improve the condition of the traffic. How can I do that if people like them violate rules, the minister, said adding that he himself has never used the wrong side of the road to reach any destination. He was speaking as the chief guest at the Policy Dialogue on Legislative Initiative to Promote Road Safety, organised by Advocacy for Social Change, BRAC, at BRAC Inn in the capital.
Quader said the Cabinet has already approved the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority Act, 2015, keeping the provision of forming a company under the Act, which would ensure control over the transport sector.
The BRTA Act might be passed in the winter session of Parliament, he said, adding that all sorts of recommendations from civil society and stakeholders to strengthen the Act should be made before December.
The minister observed that the government could pass a strong Act to ensure road safety, but all efforts would be in vain if awareness about road safety among the general people does not grow. Even strict enforcement will not work, because the country has such a large population, he said.
In the ministry, we are sincerely trying to solve all sort of structural and engineering problems prevailing in the existing road network of the country. But how can I stop cars from being parked here and there on the roads or check reckless driving if the attitudes of the people are not changed? he asked.
Mentioning the recent initiatives, he said that there are over 144 accident-prone spots on highways across the country and, for long, a project to take appropriate measurements of those spots has been lying dormant.
This year, we took the initiative and a project titled Improvement of Road Safety at Black Spots in National Highways, worth Tk. 165 crore, to reduce accidents in those spots, was approved, he said, adding that under the project, the intersections on the highways and pedestrian crossings will be improved, road bends straightened, optical hindrances removed and signs, signals and road markings will be set up. We have already completed 50 per cent of the work of the project, he said.
He also dubbed the World Health Organizations (WHOs) latest figures of road traffic deaths in Bangladesh imaginary. The Global Status Report on Road Safety 2015, released by WHO last Monday, put the figure at 21,316 persons every year. The minister, however, claimed that the figure is below 4,000 now.
Earlier, Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of Power and Participation Research Center (PPRC), presented the keynote paper on legislative initiative to promote road safety.
During the policy dialogue, Rahman was made the convener of the multi-stakeholder civic group that would come up with organised comments and recommendations before the amendment of the BRTA Act, 2015, is passed.
