Amid the growing road fatalities, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday gave a number of directives to the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to reduce road accidents in the country.
The directives include making arrangements to provide training to drivers and their assistants, having alternative drivers in case of long-distance drive so that a driver does not need to drive more than five hours without a break, setting up roadside restrooms for long-route drivers and stopping jaywalking by pedestrians.
The directives came from the weekly cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat with the Prime Minister in the chair.
“At the beginning of the meeting, there was a discussion on road transport management and the Prime Minister gave some directives to bring down road accidents,” Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said while briefing reporters after the meeting.
The directives also include setting up of roadside service centres or restrooms where drivers can take rest; maintaining signal system on the streets, making sure that pedestrians follow the signal and using zebra-crossing, while passengers and drivers fasten seatbelts unfailingly, he said.
The Prime Minister also asked three ministers – The Road Transport and Bridge Minister, the Home Minister and the Shipping Minister- to sit in a meeting regularly to oversee the implementation of the directives.
In reply to a question, the Cabinet Secretary said the unscheduled discussion was held as a good number of people were killed in road accidents after the Eid-ul Fitr.
On Saturday last, at least 37 people were killed and 108 others injured in road accidents in nine districts. Among the victims, 18 were killed in Gaibandha, six in Rangpur, three in Gopalganj, two each in Natore, Sirajganj, Faridpur, Laxmipur districts and one each in Narsingdi and Savar of Dhaka district.
