Live Correspondent: Bangladesh witnessed 398 deaths on roads in 319 accidents in just 15 days during journey before and after Eid-ul-Azha this year. The accidents and deaths recorded on Bangladesh roads during Eid-ul-Azha were highest in the last 7 years, according to a report prepared by Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger welfare organisation.

The report was presented by secretary general of Jatri Kalyan Samity Mozammel Huque Chowdhury at a press briefing in the capital on Tuesday.

Like every year, the monitoring cell of Jatri Kalyan Samity prepared the report on accidents during Eid trips from July 3 to 17.

According to the report in 2016, some 248 lives were lost on roads in 193 accidents. From 2017 to 2021, every year the numbers of deaths remained between 250-300 while the number of accidents between 200-250.

Mozammel Huque Chowdhury said, "As there was no Covid-19 related restrictions this year the number of people travelling during Eid increased. Some 1.2 crore people left Dhaka during the Eid vacation while four crore more travelled between different districts."

During the same period, 25 people were crushed under trains in separate places. In 10 maritime accidents, 17 people died, 15 sustained injuries while three went missing.

Jatri Kalyan Samity prepared the report on the basis of news published in widely circulated and credible national dailies, local newspapers and online news portals.

Motorcycle accidents deadliest

Like every year, motorcycle accident turned out to be the deadliest ones though government imposed a weeklong ban on its inter-district movement and on highways from three days before the Eid, says the report.

A total of 113 motorcycle accidents claimed 131 lives during the time which is 35.42 per cent of the total accidents and 32.91 of the total deaths this year, said the report.

Mozammel Huque Chowdhury said, "It is not possible to reduce accidents by stopping any particular vehicle. This requires political good will, concerted action plan and necessary funds," he added.

Reasons:

The report identified reckless speed, lack of road signs or road marking on national highways, and streetlights increase the risks for private vehicles traveling on the roads.

It said lack of towing marks on national, regional and feeder roads has led to accidents on these roads by novice drivers.

Faulty highway construction, unfit vehicles, tendency to violate traffic laws, driving on wrong side, peddling on the road, carrying passengers in freight vehicles, the alarming rise in number of motorcycles, easy bikes, auto rickshaws were also mentioned as reasons behind rise in road accidents.

Suggestions:

The organization made some recommendations to stop the avoidable deaths on country's roads. It suggested ensuring lighting for easy movement of vehicles on national and regional highways at night and taking initiative to create skilled drivers, to repair the unfit vehicles. It recommended introducing separate lanes for slow and fast moving vehicles.

It asked to stop extortion on roads and fix proper  working hours for drivers. Installation of road signs, road markings and proper implementation of Road Transport Act along with prevention of violation of traffic rules can reduce the road accidents, it said.

It recommended increasing the number of public transports, increasing the capacity of regulatory body BRTA by stopping irregularities and corruption.

Dhaka, 19 July (campuslive24.com)//BSC