Despite various safety measures taken by law enforcement, the number of road accidents and fatalities increased during this year’s Eid-ul-Azha trips compared to last year, raising questions about their effectiveness.
Almost every day, reports of road accidents come from various parts of the country. Especially during the two Eids each year, millions of people travel to different destinations, significantly increasing the number of vehicles on the roads and, consequently, road accidents.
This year the police took different initiatives to reduce the number of accidents and bring order to the highways before Eid-ul-Azha: speed guns were installed on the highways, temporary help camps and thousands of checkpoints were set up at entry points to make the journey safe and comfortable.
Nonetheless, the number of road crashes increased this year.
Road accidents spike by 31.25% during Eid journey, 407 killedTransport sector experts say merely improving road infrastructure will not suffice; the government must also implement strategic transport planning. Without this, road discipline cannot be achieved.
Significant increase
According to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger welfare association, in the 15 days before and after this year’s Eid-ul-Azha, there were 309 road accidents across the country's roads and highways, resulting in 458 fatalities and 1,840 injuries.
Its data from last year's Eid-ul-Azha shows that during the 15-day period from June 22 to July 6, there were 277 road accidents, resulting in 299 deaths and 544 injuries. So this year’s Eid-ul-Azha saw a 53.17% increase in fatalities and a 238.23% increase in injuries.
Call for strategic plans
Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said millions of vehicles were added to the roads every year, especially small ones, leading to an increase in accidents.
“The government is indifferent to implementing strategic transport plans. Even though the new Road Transport Act has been enacted, why are road accidents not decreasing?
“An official audit is necessary. There is no research on road safety. The actual culprits of road accidents are not being identified. No engineer is being held accountable for road defects. Due to weak investigations and lengthy legal processes, victims of road accidents are deprived of legal protection. Despite the government's goodwill, road accidents are not decreasing,” he added.
What does Police Headquarters say?
The Police Headquarters said this year’s Eid journey had been safe and comfortable due to the multifaceted measures taken by the police, including the use of speed guns on highways.
From June 13 to 18, the police used speed guns at 556 locations on various highways and roads. During the same period, there were 1,458 prosecutions for speeding.
It further stated that due to the measures for Eid-ul-Azha, traffic had been normal and people's Eid journeys had been safe and comfortable.
Generally, speeding is considered one of the main causes of road accidents.
By preventing unauthorized vehicles from transporting passengers and controlling vehicle speeds through the use of speed guns, road accidents had been reduced, the Police Headquarters claimed.
Eid Holidays: BJKS-BRTA at loggerheads over number of road accident victimsIt added that legal actions were taken against 583 vehicles for transporting passengers in non-public transport from June 13 to 18.
Additionally, the police said it had taken measures against various types of vehicles through 2,014 checkpoints, and there had been 7,102 prosecutions during the period.
The Police Headquarters mentioned that these activities would continue to ensure safe and comfortable travel for the public.
Highway Police’s limited capacity
Highway Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mahfuzur Rahman said there were 22,000 kilometres of roads and highways across the country, with the Highway Police being responsible for only 3,000 kilometres.
“The remaining roads are secured by district and station police. The Highway Police has a limited workforce. Many of our 2,900 personnel are engaged in office work and do not go to the field. It is not possible to provide complete security with such a small number of people. Given our limitations, we monitor roads and highways using technology and CCTV cameras to ensure smooth travel for passengers,” the senior police officer added.
“During Eid, about 15 million people move from one place to another. Usually, 100,000 vehicles use the highways daily, increasing to 170,000 to 190,000 during Eid.
“Additionally, as the population increases, so does the number of vehicles. The existing workforce is too small to manage these vehicles effectively. We are discussing with the relevant government departments how to solve these problems,” he continued.
Expert opinion
Kazi Md Shifun Newaz, assistant professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology’s Accident Research Institute, said several issues needed to be addressed to bring order to the roads and reduce accidents. “The government must fully implement the speed limits it has set; speed cameras need to be installed on roads; safety must be ensured; faulty roads should be repaired; and defective vehicles should be discarded.”
On the same topic, Road Safety Foundation Executive Director Saidur Rahman said although the government was improving road infrastructure, it had not given much attention to the salaries, benefits and working hours of drivers and their assistants.
“Everything needs to be brought under a specific policy. All types of extortion on roads and highways must be completely stopped.”
He also called for weeding out unskilled drivers and unfit vehicles, demanding putting an end to the transportation of excess passengers.
