Govt rolls out Tk 4,988cr road safety project
The largest-ever road safety project in Bangladesh was launched yesterday aiming to reduce fatalities and injuries from road crashes.
The World Bank and the government are funding the Tk 4,988.14 crore project, which was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on April 18.
Of the sum, the WB -- for whom this will be the first dedicated road safety project in South Asia -- will provide Tk 3,759.82 crore. The government will provide the remaining sum.
The Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Bangladesh Police and Directorate General of Health Services will jointly implement the project from May 2023 to June 2028.
The project began at a time when road safety has taken a central stage with thousands of people getting killed and injured every year mainly due to lack of proper monitoring and enforcement of laws.
At least 4,68 people were killed and 769 others injured in 496 road crashes across the country in May, according to Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger welfare platform.
Different bodies exist in Bangladesh to ensure road safety, but they are not empowered and lack effective coordination to get expected outcomes, the WB said in its appraisal report.
The organisations are also not held accountable. Besides, the fund allocated for road safety action plans is insufficient, not prioritised and has never been institutionalised, it said.
The project will pilot comprehensive road safety measures, including improved engineering designs, road signs and markings, pedestrian facilities, speed enforcement and emergency care from Gazipur to Elenga and Natore-Nawabganj highways.
The measures will help reduce road traffic deaths by more than 30 percent on the two highways, the WB said.
The project will also undertake road safety pilots in selected urban areas and district roads. It will improve post-crash care, which is critical in saving lives, and will also set up an ambulance service via a toll-free number and upgraded emergency care services in selected district hospitals, and upazila health complexes along the two national highway corridors.
"Road safety affects us all. Road crashes are the fourth leading cause of children's death in Bangladesh and youths are disproportionately affected," said Abdoulaye Seck, the WB's country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, at the launch event held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.
Road fatalities and injuries are personal and family tragedies and they undermine a country's growth and human development. For Bangladesh, improving road safety is a key development priority, he said.
"Through this project and other ongoing initiatives, the World Bank is helping Bangladesh make roads safer for its people," he added.
Although the incumbent government made a significant development in the transport sector, the road accidents put them in an uncomfortable situation, said Obaidul Quader, the road transport and bridges minister.
This project will help Bangladesh achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on road safety by 2030.
The WB's decision to cancel the loan for Padma Bridge was a misunderstanding, which is over now, he said, adding that the Washington-based multilateral lender's funding for the project and budget support is a testament to that.
ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, secretary of the road transport and highways division, Sharifa Khan, secretary of the economic relations division, and chiefs of the implementing agencies of the project also spoke.
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