Ride sharing service provider Shohoz on Monday began a month-long helmet distribution campaign for its riders in Dhaka city
A total 7,000 helmets will be distributed through the campaign, from 11am-7pm every day. The helmets will be distributed from a caravan in key areas of the capital, including Tejgaon, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Motijheel, Uttara, and Mirpur.
In a press release, Shohoz founder and Managing Director Maliha Quadir said: “Deaths from road accidents have been on the rise and we are working towards the solution. We are expecting that this campaign will raise awareness about road safety. We are providing imported helmets as they are effective in reducing the severity of head injuries. According to World Health Organization, wearing a motorcycle helmet can reduce the risk of death in the event of a crash by up to 40% and the chance of a serious injury by up to 70%.”
The distribution event was inaugurated by Shohoz Marketing Director Shezami Khalil, Lead (Rider Acquisition and Retention) Md Nowshad Farhan, and Assistant Manager (Marketing) Saqib Ahmad Raif.
Helmets currently used by riders and passengers of ride sharing services are fragile, poor in quality, and lack defensive material to avoid injury in case of accidents, which is raising eyebrows of passengers and road safety campaigners.
Bangladesh’s traffic laws make it mandatory for both riders and passengers to use helmets, but there is no mention of any quality measures.
The helmets are brittle and are basically used cosmetically to evade traffic police cases, riders and passengers told the Dhaka Tribune.
On July 4 last year, a passenger of ride sharing service Pathao lost his life and the biker sustained injuries after a double-decker bus hit the bike on Airport Road in Dhaka.
In September the same year, both passenger and rider of a ride-hailing service were killed as a lorry ran over their motorcycle in Dhaka’s Motijheel area.
