Bangla Press Desk: Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton has emphasized that encroachment-free sidewalks can help avoid road crash-related fatalities in the capital.
“Pedestrians in Dhaka city are forced to walk on the road due to the sidewalk being unpaved or unusable. At this time, vehicles push them from behind. Pedestrians are also killed by speeding vehicles while crossing the road,” he said.He said these while speaking at the unveiling ceremony of a report titled “Road Safety Situation in Dhaka” held at the conference room of the DNCC on Tuesday (7 April). The DNCC Administrator unveiled the report as the chief guest at the event, where DNCC Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Asaduzzaman, Chief Engineer Brigadier General Syed Rakibul Hasan were also present.
The report was prepared by analyzing general diaries and cases registered at various Dhaka city police stations regarding road crash deaths in the capital in 2022 and 2023. Technical assistance was received from the international organization “Vital Strategies” under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) programme. The report has been published by a joint initiative of DNCC and DMP.
Moderated by BIGRS Coordinator Md Abdul Wadud, the event was addressed, among others, by BRAC Road Safety Program Program Manager Khalid Mahmud, Technical Advisor of Vital Strategies Aminul Islam Sujon and DNCC's Senior Chief Engineer (Traffic Engineering Circle) Khandaker Mahbub Alam.
BIGRS-Dhaka Surveillance Coordinator Dr Tanvir Ibne Ali presented a summary of the report. He emphasised on taking coordinated initiatives to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable users on the road, that is, pedestrians and motorcyclists.
Shafiqul Islam Khan said that the death rate of pedestrians and motorcyclists on the roads of Dhaka city is the highest. More people die at night than during the day despite little-to-no traffic jam, and fewer people on the roads in the night hours. The main reason why more people die at night is excessive speed of vehicles.
BIRS Coordinator Md Abdul Wadud said that the safety of pedestrians and motorcyclists must be ensured through infrastructural changes in high-risk areas and proper enforcement of road transport laws.
Aminul Islam Sujon said that deaths are not just a number, but it is a lifelong pain for those who have lost their loved ones. Therefore, it is necessary to emphasize awareness campaigns in the media to prevent road crashes.
