RAJSHAHI, Oct 22, 2022 (BSS) - Massive public awareness, regular training for drivers and others concerned besides necessary infrastructure are the prime prerequisites for preventing road accidents that cause huge loss of lives and properties every year.
 
There is no alternative to raising awareness among the public in general to prevent road accidents which is a matter of grave concern.
 
Administrative officials and other stakeholders came up with the observation while addressing a post-rally discussion to mark the observation of National Road Safety Day 2022 today.
 
Rajshahi Circle of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and District administration jointly hosted the meeting at the office conference hall of Deputy Commissioner.

This year's theme of the day is 'Ain Meney Sorokey Choli, Nirapodey Ghorey Phiri (Let us follow the law on the road and return home safely".
Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Aniirban Chakma, Additional Superintendent of Police Abu Saleh Ashraful Alam and BRTA Director Sheikh Ashraqur Rahman addressed the discussion as resource persons disseminating their expertise on the issue with Additional District Magistrate Sabiha Sultana in the chair.

Executive Engineer of Local Government Engineering Department Nasir Uddin, Executive Engineer of Road Division Abdul Hakim, BRTA Deputy Director Kamrul Hassan, local unit president of Nirapad Sarak Chai Advocate Towfique Ahsan, Editor of Daily Sonali Sangbad Liakat Ali and President of Rajshahi Press Club Saidur Rahman also spoke on the occasion.

The discussants unequivocally called for strict enforcement of traffic rules to reduce road accidents.

If the drivers drive their vehicles carefully the existing number of road accidents could be reduced to a greater extent.
 
Aniirban Chakma told the meeting that the government has taken initiative to establish training institutes in each district to bring the drivers under training and refreshers training round the year.

 Step has also been taken to incorporate the issue of road accidents and its causes and prevention in the course-curriculum besides other various programmes to reduce the country's road accidents by 50 percent within the next 15 years, he added.
 
BRTA Assistant Director Engineer Abdul Khaleque said the country experienced over 5,472 road accidents last year that claimed over 5,000 lives and injured 9,339 people.

Around 150 persons comprising government officials, human right activists, leaders of road transport workers and representatives of transport owners associations were present at the meeting.

Earlier, they brought out a rally on the collectorate building premises carrying banners and festoons to create awareness among the public in general about road accidents.