RHD, BRTA will be held accountable for road accidents: Adviser Fouzul

From now on, officials of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) will be held accountable for road accidents, Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan has said.

He made the remarks this afternoon (11 January) after a meeting on road safety with various government departments at the BRTA head office in the capital.

"If any road defect contributes to a road accident, action will be taken against the RHD officials. Similarly, if a bus driver lacks a valid licence or a vehicle is found without a fitness certificate, the responsibility will fall on BRTA officials. Disciplinary action will be taken against them," he said.

He further noted that cases of police negligence would be addressed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Meanwhile, he shared some steps that the authority is analysing for effectiveness before implementation.

"We are considering several programs, including one-way roads during peak hours and road pricing [implementing tolls on the busiest roads]. These are currently in the planning and assessment stages."

The adviser also reassured that the authorities would soon control battery-run auto-rickshaws through registration and prohibit their operation on main roads.

Also controlling import of parts of the risky vehicle is under consideration, he said.

Mentioning the accident data and acknowledging failure, he said, "The number of accidents in the country last year increased by 12% compared to the previous year. As we are responsible for this and failed to control the accidents, we acknowledge our shortcomings.

"However, we have decided to compensate injured persons from road accidents. I have instructed BRTA to provide immediate treatment compensation upon application", he added.

Criticising the BRTA's activities, Fouzul said, "Some institutions serving the public were closed after 5 August. While there has been some progress in BRTA's operations, it is not up to par.

"If BRTA does not improve, we will be forced to close this institution as well. Moving forward, BRTA will be placed under regular monitoring."

The meeting revealed that 450,000 driving licences are still pending at BRTA. The adviser announced that these licences would be issued by February.

However, delays in issuing licences have reportedly caused disorder in the road transport system. In response, Fouzul said the government is considering outsourcing the task to private organisations or the army-controlled Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory.

To streamline the process, Fouzul stressed the importance of expediting the issuance of driving licences and fitness certificates while ensuring their effectiveness.

He warned that licences and certificates not renewed within the stipulated time would be cancelled.

Warning the motorcyclists, the adviser said, "The validity of learner's permits for motorcycle riders is one month. If not renewed within this period, the licence will be cancelled, and traffic police will take action on the roads,"

He also informed that the drive against all unfit vehicles is ongoing and will be intensified further.