BRTA providing misleading data on road accidents: Claims JKS

Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Jatri Kollyan Samity (JKS) has claimed that the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is creating confusion for the government by providing misleading data on road accidents.

According to the Samity, this misinformation is contributing to the rising number of accidents across the country when the government has sincerity to cut the road accidents.

The Samity also said that their recent report on road accidents during Eid-ul-Fitr published in different media was based on facts and accuracy like their previous reports, claims its Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury in a statement on Monday.

He also demanded BRTA’s detailed information about the road accident reports based on a daily basis of the month of April to find out the reason behind the reduced number of reported accidents and casualties during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.

In a letter to the BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Majumder on May 8, the Secretary General has requested to issue BRTA report.
The Samity recently revealed their report on the road accidents from April 15 to 29 when some 328 people were killed and 565 injured in 304 accidents across the country.

Following the report published in the media, BRTA rejected it saying it unrealistic and fictitious and promptly issued letter against the Samity to send the detailed report within three days.

In the press statement, Jatri Kollyan stated that BRTA has been publishing monthly report on road accidents since the beginning of the year. But reviewing their report, it does not align with the reports of the police and any other non-government organisations.

“The report we have presented is based on the news from various renowned media houses. But at least 40 per cent road accidents remain out of the coverage of the media,” the letter said.

“From our observation, it was found that 1,004 persons were admitted to NITOR hospital in the capital for road accidents during a period of 13 days before and after the Eid. On the other hand, 355 were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and 501 in Chattogram Medical College Hospital during the same time. But BRTA in its report mentioned that the number was only 510. Naturally it raises questions,” the letter mentioned.

Jatri Kalyan Samity further stated that the government is sincere in reducing road accidents. However, the BRTA does not present the correct picture of the road accidents in the country and repeatedly provides information that suggests a decrease in road accidents, which gives a false sense of security.

The organisation wants to highlight the reality of the situation and urge the government to take appropriate planning and implementation measures to control the increasing danger of road accidents, it added.

“While the government was successful in setting up a precedent to protect the people from the fear of the deadly pandemic, it is failing to control the looming threat of road accidents. Despite the government’s sincerity in addressing this issue, the BRTA’s misleading information is confusing the government, leading to an increase in road accidents day by day,” it said.