Why road safety remains a pipe dream

The other day, I was an inch away from becoming one of the thousands of road fatalities. My bike was hit by a car while I was riding home at night over the Tejgaon flyover. And since I am alive, I live to write the tale. Such is the unpredictability of life for millions of Dhaka-dwellers, and it is a fate that we have collectively accepted. However, this is not how a city is meant to operate. 

It is not just Dhaka, but the entire country that has become unnervingly prone to road accidents. As reported by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), in 2023, Bangladesh experienced a staggering 5,495 road accidents, resulting in 5,024 deaths and 7,495 injuries. It means every day, about 14 deaths and 21 injuries occurred throughout the year. 

Another study by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (BJKS) reveals that there were 7,902 deaths and 10,372 injuries in 6,261 road accidents in the same period. 

Road traffic fatalities in Bangladesh were 21,316 in 2015, 24,944 in 2018, and 31,578 in 2021, according to 'Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023,' published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) released on 13 December 2023.  

However, this is rather odd because since 2018, the legislative body published one law and one guideline and formed one gazetted road safety task force, which put forward 111 recommendations to improve road safety. 

In 2018, the Road Transport Act was passed amid protests by students and youths, yet the situation has not improved much. 

Aside from the laws and regulations, numerous steps have been taken to prevent road accidents. After the 2020 UNGA resolution, the National Road Safety Council in November 2022 approved the 9th National Road Safety Strategic Action Plan for 2021–2024 to reduce the number of road accident fatalities and injuries in Bangladesh by 20-25%  by 2024 and 50% by 2030. 

On 28 March 2022, the World Bank approved $358 million to help Bangladesh improve road safety and reduce fatalities and injuries from road traffic crashes on selected high-risk highways and district roads. 

The government also introduced two 'smart highways' with the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) which incorporates a vehicle detection system, a surveillance camera, an automated number plate recognition camera, a speed detection mechanism and a variable messaging sign. The highways are scheduled to open before December 2024. 

The government is set to take on a pilot project to use nanotechnology for the construction of roads. Hazardous locations on roads have been identified and a government survey has recommended improving the safety features of around 2,000 rail crossings – which is two-thirds of all the rail crossings.

Despite these promising steps, the result has been bleak. Road safety is yet to be ensured; in fact, it is far from it. So, the question arises: Why are so many seemingly good policies failing? 

Professor Dr Md Shamsul Hoque, a transportation engineering expert from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) and the former Director of Accident Research Institute (ARI) opines that laws, guidelines or recommendations will not be adequate to solve the problem alone. 

"Such laws, guidelines or recommendations have been here before, and they have fallen short of achieving the goal. These are passive measures and active measures have not been taken. Neither the planning nor the policy framework have been carried out. Then how do you expect the problem to be solved?" said Dr Shamsul Hoque.

Professor Dr Md Hadiuzzaman, a transportation engineering specialist from Buet, thinks that the main point of a successful road safety policy is not the laws or regulations but the commitment to enforce them. Much is done on paper, but the implementation of that is lacking. 

"Laws alone cannot solve the accidents. We need commitment from the higher authorities, road construction authorities, law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, transport professionals, and even pedestrians. Unless this is ensured, there is no chance of the number of accidents decreasing." 

So, why is the commitment lacking? 

"We are not as excited about adhering to the regulations as we are when building massive projects that require significant financial outlays. We need an overhaul in management, training and changing the existing culture. To reduce accidents, you need to change the mindset, not make huge investments," said Dr Hadiuzzaman. 

The number of people, automobiles and two-wheelers has increased over the years, yet the policy changes have not caught up. 

Moreover, auto-rickshaws, nosimon-korimon (crudely built local transport) and other banned vehicles are still on the streets, reflecting the poor enforcement of existing laws and regulations. On a busy road, such slow-moving vehicles are a recipe for disaster. 

"Many accidents occur when the driver tries to evade such vehicles and rollover. This is a symptom of the disastrous effect slow-moving unregulated vehicles have on the roads," Dr Hoque agreed.

"There is a widespread lack of the implementation of the scientific approach to solve road accidents. Also, there is a clear lack of comprehensive data on road accidents, which makes it harder to grasp the full picture." 

Dr Hoque also thinks the lion's share of the issues is due to the mismanagement of the higher authorities. "The anarchy on the roads is a reflection of the failure of the higher authorities. There is no doubt about it." 

Street management is a dynamic process, as the numbers of vehicles and pedestrians are constantly changing. The management and monitoring need constant supervision as well. Here, the policies are falling short. 

Dr Hadiuzzaman believes that a top-down approach is necessary to enforce the laws and frame better, more effective policies. 

"We also need intensive monitoring and application of the policies. Our application is seasonal, not constant. When the strategies are supposed to be enforced 24 hours a day for 365 days, but they are enforced seasonally, then the policies lose effectiveness and the issues become immune to the policies," said Dr Hoque. 

"Street management is not like a six-month-long project, it requires constant monitoring and updates. However, our higher authorities are yet to utilise such measures," he added.

He also thinks that the crisis is not being handled with enough attention and care. This is evident from the fact that the only time road safety takes note is when a highly publicised accident occurs. Otherwise, the crisis is grossly overlooked. 

As Dhaka grows with each passing minute, it is hard to manage the roads and the vehicles. In a busy city, the transportation system is the backbone, and in Dhaka, it is broken. 

The roads are marred with issues, and safety is non-existent. Clearly, policy paralysis has taken hold of the traffic system and hence, such a harrowing rate of accidents. 

Dr Hoque is affirmative that the policies are not working. 

"As the Chinese say, it does not matter if the cat is black or white; what matters is if it can catch the rat. Our policy framework needs to be designed so that qualified experts with experience in both mass transit and transportation engineering are in charge of it. We need a scientific approach to the problem and solve it methodically," said Dr Hoque. 

He also points out that the top positions in road and transport authorities are not trained in academic specialisation, leading to a gap in action and consequences. 

"We need young specialists who are qualified for these roles, like in other countries. Otherwise, this policy paralysis will not be solved." 

"It is not that we have no example of success," he said, adding, "In Gulshan or Cantonment, we see a better scenario due to better management. Also, the transportation union leaders hinder much progress for their own benefit. The drivers are not properly trained, the licencing system is corrupted, and laws are not enforced—all of it together culminates in the contagious disease of anarchy. We first need definitive actions, then education of the people." 

The lack of transport experts in policymaking and the investigation process has also been pointed out by Dr Hadiuzzaman. 

"When an investigation committee is formed, there are government officials, workers' union representatives and representatives of law enforcement agencies, but no transport engineering expert. We need that kind of expertise in the process. We need a national level independent, separate investigative committee whose sole purpose will be to investigate accidents." 

In the public transport sector, infrastructural development such as the construction of four-lane highways or flyovers will not automatically ensure road safety. The inadequate enforcement of road transport laws and poor management and policy planning are to blame. 

The necessity for the government to prioritise secure traffic management on newly developed infrastructure is important. In reality, there persists a prevalent pattern of significant law violations and a notable lack of adherence to directives, which has to be dealt with. 

It is essential for the government to acknowledge its shortcomings in effectively regulating the sector, refrain from making unsubstantiated assurances, and take concrete actions to ensure the safety of the public on the roads. 

Shadique Mahbub Islam. Sketch: TBS