Existing laws enough to stop road crashes

Law minister tells seminar

10 July 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Terming the existing laws sufficient to prevent road accidents, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed yesterday said the government will take more steps if necessary to avoid road crashes. The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar on “Prevention of road accidents: social, state and legal steps” jointly organised by Saif Foundation, Families United Against Road Accidents (FUARA) and Dhaka Officers' Club at the club's auditorium yesterday morning. Shafique said the ministries of home and communications are tasked with controlling the vehicular movement. The ministries must see to it that the vehicles are not overloaded and reckless driving and overtaking do no happen, he said. The minister said the novice drivers manage driving licences by unfair means from Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and BRTA officials have to be hones in this regard. Shafique said there are provisions in the existing laws of punishment against the persons responsible for road accidents, but the offenders often go unpunished, as they are not convicted in the law court due to faulty police reports in the cases over road accidents. The home ministry should look into this matter, he added. Advocate Tarana Halim, MP, presented a written statement saying that on an average around 4,085 road accidents occur and some 3,370 people die and 2,881 are injured every year across the country. She said most road accidents happen due to reckless driving and exemplary punishment to the drivers is called for in such cases. State Minister for Home Shamsul Huq Tuku said the existing laws need to be amended and the drivers and owners of vehicles have to be made aware about the accidents. BRTA Chairman M Ayubur Rahman said some 209 places on the highways have been identified as vulnerable to road accidents across the country. M Abdul Aziz, cabinet secretary, also chairman of Dhaka Officers' Club, presided over the function, which was addressed by, among others, Primary and Mass Education Secretary Abu Alam M Shahid Khan, Chairman of FUARA Eram Ahmed, and Saif Foundation Chairperson Samia Halim.