Public awareness crucial for road safety
BSS, Rajshahi :
Massive awareness among the public in general about traffic rules, regular training for drivers and necessary infrastructure can be the crucial means of preventing road traffic accidents.
There is no way but to raise awareness among the masses to prevent road accidents which is a matter of grave concern.
Administrative officials and other stakeholders came up with the observation while addressing a post-rally discussion to mark the National Road Safety Day 2023 on Sunday.
Rajshahi Circle of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and District administration jointly hosted the meeting at Nanking Darbar Hall in the city with the theme of “Ain Mene Sarake Chali, Smart Bangladesh Gore Tuli”.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Rajshahi Shamim Ahmed and Civil Surgeon Dr Abu Sayeed Muhammad Faruque addressed the meeting as the chief and special guests respectively with Additional District Magistrate Sabiha Sultana in the chair.
BRTA Director Ashfaqur Rahman, Executive Engineer of Local Government Engineering Department Nasir Uddin, Executive Engineer of the Department of Roads and Highways Abdul Hakim, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Helena Akter and local unit president of Nirapad Sarak Chai Advocate Towfique Ahsan also addressed the meeting.
The discussants unequivocally called for strict enforcement of traffic rules to reduce road accidents.
If the drivers drive their vehicles carefully the existing number of road accidents could be reduced to a greater extent, they mentioned.
DC Shamim Ahmed told the meeting that the government has taken initiative to establish training institutes in each district to bring the drivers under training and refreshers training round the year.
Step has also been taken to incorporate the issue of road accidents and its causes and prevention in the course-curriculum besides other various programmes to reduce the country’s road accidents by 50 percent within the next 15 years, he added.
BRTA Deputy Director Engineer Ashrakur Rahman said the country experiences over 5,000 road accidents every year that claim over 4,000 lives and injure a huge number of people.
Around 250 people comprising government officials, human right activists, leaders of road transport workers and representatives of transport owners associations were present at the meeting.
Earlier, they brought out a rally from Shishu Academy Office premises carrying banners and festoons to create awareness among the public in general about the road accidents.
