The government has taken up a Tk165 crore project to repair as many as 144 accident-prone spots on the highways to ensure safe journey of people across the country.
The move came following an alarming rise in road accidents mainly those on the highways over the past few years.
Of the 144 accident-prone spots, 34 are in Dhaka, six in Gopalganj, eight in Comilla, 14 in Sylhet, 11 in Khulna, two in Barisal, 35 in Rangpur and 34 in Rajshahi districts.
The project titled Improvement of Road Safety at Black Spots on National Highways is expected to complete by 2016. The government will spend the total project cost from its own coffer.
The latest project was taken in line with the government’s sixth five-year plan that targets to reduce road accidents by 50% within 2020 while the Roads and Highways Department has taken steps to reduce road accidents by 25% every year by 2015.
“Local and foreign experts have already identified black spots on highways that caused accidents due to engineering and technical problems. We are trying to address those,” Road Transport and Highway Division’s Secretary MAN Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune.
He said straightening the Manikganj highway has helped cut a number of accidents. “This, actually, has prompted the government to take this project.”
About the project, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said under the project, there will be development of intersections on the highways, improvement of pedestrian crossings, simplification of road turnings, removal of eyesight obstacles, establishment of signs, signals and road markings.
“Work on the project will start soon,” he said.
Under Dhaka division, the most accident-prone spots are on Dhaka-Bhairob, Savar-Manikganj, and Keraniganj-Mawa Ghat roads, Faridpur Sadar, Modhukhali, Bhanga, Goalondo of Rajbari and Kalkini of Madaripur highways, according to the project.
Under the Rangpur division the black spots are from Sherpur to Gaibandha, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon via Tetulia highways stretching a 300-kilometer road.
From Madhabpur of Habiganj to Tamabil of Sylhet of the Dhaka-Sylhet highways has also accident-prone areas.
Under Rajshahi division the black spots at the Sirajganj, Pabna, Natore on the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway stretching a 125-km road.
Under Khulna division, the accident prone areas are Magura, Jhenaidah, Jessore, Khulna and Mongla sea port of Bagerhat stretching a 200-km road and under Barisal division the spots are in between Goranodi and Potukhali stretching a 81 km road.
According to a study conducted by the Accident Research Centre (ARC) of BUET in 2011, road accidents claim on average 12,000 lives annually and lead to about 35,000 injuries. It also identified 209 accidents-prone spots in the country.
According to World Bank statistics, annual fatality rate from road accidents is found to be 85.6 fatalities per 10,000 vehicles.
At least 25 people were killed and 43 injured in road accidents across the country during the three days of Eid holidays, according to the newspaper report.
Most of the people are killed in head-on collisions between buses, microbuses, human hauliers, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and motorcycles.
The Improvement of Road Safety at Black Spots on National Highways project was one of the eight projects worth over Tk2,887 crore, which were approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair yesterday at the NEC conference room.
Of the total project cost, Tk1383.48 crore will come from the national exchequer while Tk6.71 crore from the organisation’s own fund and Tk1,497 crore in project assistance.
Aiming to address the accommodation problem for the government employees in the capital, the Ecnec also approved Construction of Multi-storey Residential Building at Azimpur Government Colony’ involving Tk 220.45 crore to be implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works by June 2018.
Under the project, there will be two 20-storey buildings having 152 flats with each flat being 1000 square feet in size while another four 20-storey buildings will be built having 304 flats each 800 square feet in size.
Another project, titled ‘Construction of multi-storey residential buildings at Motijheel Government Colony’ was approved with an outlay of Tk176.42 crore, which will be completed by June 2018.
Under the project, four 20-storey buildings would be constructed having 532 flats of 650 square feet in size.
Currently, there is an accommodation facility for some 15,000 government officials and employees in the capital against the demand for three lakh, the planning minister said.
The Ecnec meeting also gave nod to the Flood Management and Improvement of Living Standard in Haor Areas with Tk993.38 crore to be implemented by the Ministry of Water Resources by June 2022.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide Tk594.46 crore in project assistance.
