Motorcycle crashes dominate road death toll

Staff Reporter

At least 402 people have been killed and 1,294 injured in 394 road accidents across the country in 15 days during Eid-ul-Azha journeys, according to the Jatri Kalyan Samity.

The findings were presented by the organisation’s Secretary General Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury at a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Sunday.

According to the organisation’s road crash monitoring cell report, road accidents rose by 3.95 percent, deaths by 3.07 percent and injuries by 9.47 percent compared to the previous Eid.

The report covered the accidents recorded in a span of time from May 21 to June 4.

Besides, 31 railway accidents claimed the lives of 23 people and injured 30 others during the period, while 17 waterway accidents left 13 people dead and 16 injured.

Overall, 438 people were killed and 1,340 injured in 442 road, rail and waterway accidents during the period, the report said.

Motorcycles remained at the top of the crash list. At least 159 people were killed and 180 injured in 153 motorcycle crashes, accounting for 38.83 percent of all road accidents.

Among those killed or injured in road crashes were 80 drivers, 89 transport workers, 59 pedestrians, 64 women, 45 children, 66 students, five law enforcers, three teachers, one doctor, three journalists, one engineer and four political activists, according to the report.

Speaking at the press conference, Mozammel said the government’s 10 to 12 days of Eid-focused monitoring would not be sufficient to save lives or reduce suffering during such a large-scale movement of people.

He called for short, medium and long-term plans, alongside a major reshaping of the public transport system.

The organisation attributed the crashes to the movement of motorcycles, battery-run rickshaws and auto-rickshaws on highways, the absence of adequate road signs and markings, poor lighting, road defects, unfit vehicles, unskilled drivers, reckless speeding, overloading, wrong-side driving, extortion, rain-induced potholes and prolonged driving hours without rest.

Jatri Kalyan Samity also recommended the introduction of a modern bus network, technology-based traffic management, proper driver training, service lanes and footpaths on highways, improved road maintenance, regular road safety audits, stronger capacity at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and an end to monopoly control in the transport sector.