Dhaka: Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam on Monday announced that the government is targeting a 50% reduction in road crash fatalities by 2030. He emphasized that any loss of life due to negligence or a lack of duty is unacceptable.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the minister revealed plans to develop a comprehensive Road Safety Act by December 2027 during a workshop titled ‘Road Safety and Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Skills for Road Maintenance of the Roads and Highways Department’ held at a city hotel.
Minister Alam stated that approximately 5,000 people die in road accidents in Bangladesh annually. He urged stakeholders to fulfill their responsibilities diligently to meet the target and called on field-level officials to take an active role in preventing road crashes.
Despite significant investment in road safety, Rabiul Alam highlighted the need to evaluate the effectiveness of these projects. He advocated for identifying accident-prone areas and analyzing crash causes using reliable data rather than assumptions to guide future road construction and infrastructure projects.
The minister proposed treating roads as national assets and prioritizing safety and maintenance from the outset of construction. He recommended initiating repair and maintenance before roads suffer severe damage, challenging the mindset that projects should wait until roads are significantly damaged.
Alam also suggested establishing a specialized police unit for road safety, with members receiving targeted training in road safety and traffic management. He emphasized the importance of consistency in assignments to maximize the use of acquired knowledge and experience.
Furthermore, Rabiul Alam underscored the need to produce skilled drivers, ensure vehicle fitness, regulate speed, enforce helmet use among motorcyclists, and increase public awareness. He warned that without measures in these areas, achieving road safety would be challenging.
State Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Habibur Rashid, speaking as a special guest, noted that road safety extends beyond engineering and is intertwined with public health, social wellbeing, and economic development. He called for enhanced institutional capacity and coordinated cooperation among relevant stakeholders.
The workshop was attended by representatives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Economic Relations Division, Planning Commission, Finance Division, Roads and Highways Division, development partners, consulting firms, and the media. Participants committed to collaborating towards a safe, smart, and sustainable road transport system in Bangladesh.