Only plans, no action
A high-powered taskforce, formed to reduce road crashes and bring discipline in road transport sector, is going to hold its second meeting next week, a year after its first meeting.
This meeting was supposed to be held two months after the maiden one in November last year. In the meantime, the taskforce, formed in October last year, could not start its work, except forming four sub-committees to chalk out plans.
Now the taskforce, led by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, will seat for the meeting on November 18, just days after Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has admitted their failure to ensure road safety and termed it "our main concern now."
At least two members of the taskforce found "lack of seriousness" and "lack of proper approach" of the authorities concerned behind the delay and inaction, when the country continued to witness death in road crashes.
Despite the Covid-19-induced shutdown for two months, a total of 2,211 people were killed in 2,291 accidents till July this year as per police figures, which are significantly lower than that of road-safety organisations.
THE TASKFORCE
A committee led by transport leader and former shipping minister Shajahan Khan submitted their report to the prime minister in April last year, making a 111-point recommendation on how to reduce road crashes and bring discipline in the transport sector.
In October last year, the government issued a gazette forming the 33-member taskforce led by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
Among others, secretaries of 11 ministries and divisions were made ex-officio members of the taskforce.
In its first meeting held on November 24, the taskforce coopted three additional members and assigned four secretaries to recommend and plan how the recommendations can be implemented.
The sub-committees were given two-month time to submit their recommendations and then the taskforce was supposed sit again.
Although the sub-committees held several meetings but most of them did not submit reports within the stipulated time, officials aware about the development said.
Then, Covid-19 pandemic hit the country, making further delay, they added. And thus no meeting of the taskforce was held.
Road Transport and Highway Division, which was assigned to coordinate taskforce's activities, called the second meeting, which would be held virtually.
'LACK OF SERIOUSNESS, APPROACH'
At a road safety-related programme on Thursday, Obaidul Quader said, "We are constructing four-lane, six-lane and eight-lane roads, but we could not ensure road safety yet."
"There is nothing to hide here; we have to tell the truth. Road crashes are our main concern now," he said.
Noted columnist and a member of the taskforce Syed Abul Maksud said this is unfortunate that the meeting is going to be held after a year.
"Dozens of meetings were held during this pandemic, with exception for the meeting of this taskforce," he told The Daily Star yesterday.
"The authorities might have formed the taskforce following people's demand and their movement but they are not serious about it," he added.
Maksud said he had a suggestion to form a taskforce with six-seven members but the authorities have formed a "huge" taskforce with many ex-officio members, for whom, it would be difficult to give time for this particular work.
Mentionable, only two of the 11 secretaries, who are members of the taskforce, attended the first meeting, making the home minister discontent.
Noted transport expert Prof Shamsul Hoque said there is a lack of approach to solve the problem.
"Actually we [the authorities] don't know how to solve the problem. That's why a vicious circle has been created and number of recommendations is on the rise," he said.
Instead of strengthening institutional capacity, ensuring accountability and time-bound action plan, formation of such taskforce would not work, said Prof Shamsul, also a member of the taskforce.
He said the authorities had to find out the reasons behind the non-implementation of previous experts' recommendations and make the failed persons accountable to solve the problems in the transport sector.
The Daily Star could not get in touch with the home minister for comments, despite phone calls and text messages.
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