Quader terms findings on road mishaps baseless

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader rejected a recent study findings on the number of last year's road accidents in the country, terming it 'baseless', as it was contradictory to national and international figures.
"What is the basis of the study done by Jatri Kalyan Samity (JKS)? What mechanism has it implied to find the number?" the minister asked, highlighting that the JKS-found number is much higher than the number stated by Nirapad Sarak Chai Andolon (NSCA).
According to police data, the number of road accidents in the country has reduced during the last few years. Bangladesh has also been termed as the second lowest road accident-prone country in south Asia, he added.
Obaidul Quader said these while presiding over the 24th meeting of National Road Safety Council, the apex body of public and private road transport sectors and civil society members.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges called the meeting on an emergency basis, following a number of accidents in recent days.
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan and Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon, columnist Syed Abul Maksud, and road safety campaigner Ilias Kanchan, among others, attended the meeting.
Heads of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) as well as representatives of different ministries, including home and local government, and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) were also present.
Obaidul Quader earlier rejected the data of NSCA on road accidents. However, this time he referred to its statistics, as it is lower than that of JKS.
JKS, a welfare association for passengers, in its report this week said a total of 8,642 people were killed and 21,855 injured in 6,581 road accidents across the country in 2015, which caused losses to the tune of Tk 75 billion (7,500 crore). But according to NSCA, the number was 5,003 last year.
Mr Quader claimed that road is no more a reason for accident because of taking some measures to address the accident-prone zones and black-spots. But this kind of statistics misleads people.
The minister said his ministry is working to place the road transport act before the parliament during its next winter session.
The council meeting on Tuesday took a number of decisions to check road accidents, which include limiting vehicles' speed within 40-50 kilometre per hour and mandatory turning on their fog lights during foggy weather.
It also decided to establish truck terminal along with resting place for drivers, free Gulistan area from traffic jam, activate district road safety councils, and arrange extensive trainings for and counseling sessions of drivers and workers.
The meeting also formed a 15-member committee, involving all stakeholders under the leadership of the BRTA chairman, to implement the short-term recommendations, placed in a report by sub-committee of the council.  
The DSCC mayor during the meeting repeatedly requested the representatives of transport owners and workers, including the shipping minister, to play their due roles in freeing Gulistan area from haphazard parking and illegal occupation.
"If you want you can free Gulistan area," he added.
Regarding the decision taken earlier on allowing break for bus-truck drivers after certain mileage, the meeting further directed to establish at least one truck terminal in the middle of each of eight national highways of the country, and asked the local government secretary to find land for them.
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