WB, UN to help improve road safety in Bangladesh

To continue its robust growth, Bangladesh must take urgent steps to improve road safety, said World Bank Vice President for South Asia Hartwig Schafer yesterday.

“Two to five percent of GDP is lost because of road safety issues, and it is preventable. We can reverse the trend. We can address the issue,” Schafer said while speaking at an event in the capital.

He said Bangladesh has been growing rapidly over the last decade but that comes with increasing number of vehicles, more accidents and more fatalities.

“It is not only a transport issue. It is an issue of education; it involves healthcare; it involves different stakeholders. It involves investment. Everybody has to work together,” he said.

Referring to the newly formed UN trust fund for road safety, Schafer said, “I sincerely hope that Bangladesh will be one of the first countries to benefit from this trust fund.”

He also said the World Bank and the United Nations together stand ready to support Bangladesh in improving road safety.

Wrapping up a two-day visit to Bangladesh, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, said road crashes are the fourth leading cause of death of children aged between 5 and 14, and 67 percent victims are within the 15-49 age group in Bangladesh.

He said Bangladesh is not yet a contracting party to any of the seven road safety conventions. “I strongly encourage Bangladesh to sign,” he said.

“The economic and human cost of the untimely deaths and injuries are immense,” said Todt, adding, “Yet we see tremendous opportunity through the commitment that the government has shown and we look forward to working together for better road safety.”

At the event -- “Road Safety for All”, the World Bank and the UN jointly launched a video competition titled “Road Safety Champions”, soliciting solutions to make Dhaka roads safer.

The competition is for Bangladeshi youths aged between 18 and 23. Details of the competition are available at www.worldbank.org/Bangladesh.

“We are confident that the goal set by our prime minister will definitely be accomplished with the close cooperation and coordination of all the citizens of Bangladesh,” said Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, who joined the event as chief guest.

Mercy Tembon, World Bank country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, said Bangladesh faces the challenge of road safety and there is a huge opportunity to reduce the tragic loss of lives due to road accidents, particularly the children. “Road safety for all is a call to action for all -- government, private sector, civil society, youth and development partners. Everybody needs to roll their sleeves and make this happen for Bangladesh,” she said.

An MoU was signed between World Bank and Buet’s Accident Research Institute to carry out scientific research and investigation on accidents.

During their visit, Schafer and Todt met with the finance minister, road transport and bridges minister, and other senior government officials.