Rajshahi division prepares for road safety campaign

District administrations in Rajshahi division are initiating a massive awareness building campaign on road safety beginning September 1, following a directive of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Under the campaign, drivers of different kinds of vehicles will be given special training at the offices of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) at different districts, Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Nur-ur-Rahman told The Daily Star yesterday.

The public will also be made aware of their responsibilities during using the highways, mobilising students of different educational institutes, scouts and rover scouts, he said.

According to the PMO directive, on completion of a the nationwide awareness campaign, a demonstration on people's awareness on traffic laws will be held simultaneously across the country on September 30.

PMO Principal Secretary Najibur Rahman gave the directives during a video conference with the divisional commissioners from across the country before Eid, he said.

Nur-ur-Rahman held another video conference with eight deputy commissioners of Rajshahi division on Sunday to inform them about the PMO's directives.

“Although the campaign is planned for the entire month of September, I have directed all concerned to complete it within the first three weeks,” he said. “In the last week, the campaign participants will put their knowledge to practise,” he said.

In Rajshahi, the district's deputy commissioner Abdul Qader held a meeting with over 100 members of the transport owners, workers' associations and chiefs of different educational institutes at the DC's conference room yesterday.

The meeting decided to begin trainings for drivers of buses, trucks and other legal transportations at the local BRTA office, said the DC.

At least 1,500 drivers will be given daylong trainings on traffic signals, road signs and other rules of driving during the training within September 15, and the trained drivers will share their experiences with fellow drivers.

At different schools and colleges, transport law experts will attend rallies of students, and will make them aware about traffic laws and road signs.

Coloured leaflets will be given to students for distribution, which will incorporate all necessary traffic laws and responsibilities of drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

The students will hand the leaflets to their guardians, and return them after collecting signatures of their guardians on the leaflets, to signify that the guardians have read the leaflets.

The awareness programme will be followed at upazila and union levels too, said the DC.

Safqat Manjur Biplob, joint secretary of Rajshahi bus owners' association, who took part in the meeting, said they agreed to cooperate with the administration to raise awareness among people.

“We were told about the detailed plan of the programme at the meeting. If it succeeds as per the plan, I am sure that the situation on the highways will improve,” he said.