Safe roads remain a distant dream in Bangladesh, as the proposed law aimed at ensuring the safety rights of pedestrians, drivers and other road users has yet to be finalised despite being under development for the past eight years.
Although the government identified road safety as a priority in its 180-day agenda, little visible progress has been made beyond the preparation of a draft Road Safety Act, according to officials familiar with the process.
They said two committees, originally formed during the interim government, were reconstituted and the draft law was submitted to the ministry concerned in May.
However, the draft has remained pending for ministerial approval, delaying the next stages of the legislative process.
"The draft cannot move forward without the ministry's approval, which is required before holding a series of stakeholder consultations, including inter-ministerial meetings," said a source familiar with the matter, requesting anonymity.
He said that while enacting a new law is inherently a lengthy process involving multiple stages of review and approval, faster movement at the current stage could significantly shorten the overall timeline.
The country's road is governed by the Road Transport Act (RTA) executed under the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, which came into force under pressure of the student movement in 2018.
The initiative on RSA was taken later to ensure safe system approaches in building all kinds of infrastructures so that pedestrians, passengers and drivers correct their street behaviour automatically.
Experts on road safety said RTA is a law to guide authorities concerned to govern all kinds of vehicles keeping provision of punishment but the RSA has no punishment provision.
Members of one committee said the present government is sincere to finalise the RSA giving importance to reducing road accidents in the county. "But it still remains at fetus stage even after over the 90 days of the government," said a member preferring not to be named.
However, analysts said the act is supposed to form National Road Safety Authority or a council to act independently to ensure road safety for all by coordinating with all authorities concerned.
smunima@yahoo.com
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