Involve students, youth alongside law enforcers to ensure safe Eid journey: Road Safety Foundation

The Road Safety Foundation has called for increased efforts to ensure safe Eid travel by involving students and youth alongside law enforcement agencies, as well as launching road safety campaigns on television and social media.

In a statement issued today (26 March), the organisation identified two major challenges for this year's Eid journey. The first is the widespread use of battery-run auto-rickshaws on roads and highways, along with an increase in motorcycle usage, which could significantly raise the risk of road accidents.

The second challenge is the heightened risk of robberies and muggings on vehicles during the night, particularly on regional and rural roads. "A group is likely to carry out these acts in a coordinated manner," the statement says.

"To address these issues, the foundation calls for extensive monitoring by law enforcement agencies, with the involvement of students and youth to provide security across the country's roads. Control rooms should be kept operational in every police station, and surveillance should be increased in high-risk areas."

As per the foundation, during the Eid journey, around 1.25 crore people will travel from Dhaka to various destinations across the country in just 3-4 days. Additionally, around four crore people will travel between districts within the country. It said there is no quality public transport available to accommodate such a large number of people in such a short time.

The statement said train and waterway services are insufficient, leading most people to travel by truck, pickup, faulty buses, auto-rickshaws, and motorcycles, putting their lives at risk.

"Despite various decisions made by relevant authorities to manage the heavy flow of homebound passengers, visible steps to stop road extortion, overcharging, and the movement of unsafe vehicles are often lacking. This remains the reality every year," the statement reads.

The foundation further stated that while the government takes proactive measures to ensure safety during the pre-Eid homeward journey, it does not maintain the same level of activity for the return journeys. As a result, road accidents are more frequent during the return trip.

"Considering this, the foundation urges the government to ensure the continued presence of law enforcement agencies throughout the return journey."

The foundation said the government must implement a mid-term, sustainable plan for at least the next three years. Under this plan, the railway network should be expanded, increasing the number of trains to encourage more people to travel by rail. Waterways must be improved and made more accessible to the public.

"Additionally, the number of buses should be increased by expanding the routes of the BRTC, and all outdated and faulty vehicles on the roads must be removed," it said in the statement.