RAJSHAHI, Sept 2, 2018 (BSS) – Administrative and police officials at a
training session here unanimously observed that strict enforcement of traffic
rules besides creating wide-ranging mass-awareness has become an urgent need
to ensure road safety.
They mentioned that the country experiences over 5,000 road accidents in
every year claiming over 4,000 lives and injuring many others. The total loss
of properties in the accidents is estimated over Taka 5000 crore which is 2
percent of the country’s total GDP.
They were addressing the inaugural session of an eight-day training
workshop styled “Citizens Duty for Road Safety” in the conference hall of
divisional office of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) in the city
on Saturday.
The district administration organized the workshop with the main thrust of
disseminating ideas relating to the existing traffic rules among drivers so
that they can avert road accident.
Chaired by Deputy Commissioner SM Abdul Kader, the session was addressed,
among others, by Additional District Magistrate Nasima Khatun, Superintendent
of Police Md Shahidullah, Assistant Commissioner (Traffic) of Rajshahi
Metropolitan Police Anirban Chakravarty and BRTA Assistant Director Kamrul
Islam.
The speakers mentioned that the drivers alone are not responsible for any
accident but other reasons like frequent movement of the pedestrians is
equally responsible.
They underlined the need for a strict enforcement of laws together with
collective efforts of all to reduce road accidents significantly.
Enhancement of competence and awareness of the professional drivers and
others concerned is very important to this end.
Abdul Kader observed that road accidents could have reduced substantially
if the authorities concerned had discharged duties properly while providing
driving licenses and fitness certificates.
He told the meeting that the government has launched training so that the
drivers can get proper training round the year.
A step has also been taken to incorporate the issue of road accident and
its causes and prevention ways in the course-curriculum besides other various
programs to reduce the country’s road accidents by 50 percent within the next
15 years, he added.