Quader takes responsibility for accidents

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday accepted responsibility for the deaths in road accidents on the highways across the country during the holidays of Eid-ul-Azha.

“I am not claiming that I have been successful in establishing discipline in the transport sector and as a minister I cannot avoid the responsibility for the accidents on the highways,” he told journalists at a meet the reporters programme at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

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The minister said he was shocked at such a “procession of deaths” on the highways.

At least 64 people, including two policemen, were killed and 178 others injured in a spate of road accidents since September 13. The death toll was 31 in the three-day eid holidays when 74 others were injured.

Last year, at least 30 people were killed and 54 others injured during the three-day holidays and in 2014 at least 26 people were killed in road accidents across the country during Eid-ul-Azha.

The death toll was 10 in 2013, 40 in 2012 and 46 in 2011, according to The Daily Star reports.

The number of casualties was prepared on the basis of reports published in this newspaper. However, the actual number might be higher as many accidents usually go unreported.

Quader said deaths in the first eight months in 2016 were almost half compared to last year's, but the trend was not maintained during the Eid-ul-Azha holidays.

“These accidents were mostly caused by drivers who drive their vehicles at an excessively higher speed to avail as many trips as possible,” he alleged.

“The general people can be made to abide by the traffic rules. But it is very tough to bring the politicians and influential people inside the rule of law,” the minister observed.

He said he is still working on it to establish disciples on the highways.

Dividers and service roads (a separate road alongside the highway to be used by local transports) would be constructed on the Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways in order to reduce road accidents, Quader said.

He added they would upgrade different highways including Gazipur to Elenga, Elenga to Rangpur, Rangpur to Panchagarh, and Panchagarh to Burimari to four lanes with service roads.

He said they have identified 142 black spots on the highways where accidents occur frequently and they are working to address it by next December.

Quader also said they have already turned the black spots to intersections at 11 points on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway where the number of accidents has reduced significantly.

Suggesting clearing the footpaths and removing rickshaws from the city, the minister said no initiatives like constructing metro-rails and flyovers would work properly unless the footpaths are cleared for pedestrians and illegal rickshaws are withdrawn.

“Though there is only 50,000 legal rickshaws in the city around 15 lakh such three-wheelers ply on the city roads,” he observed.

Responding to a question, Quader said the next general elections would be held under the existing system and he is sure BNP would contest.

DRU President Jamal Uddin presided the programme moderated by General Secretary Razu Ahmed.