Improving Road Safety

in the OIC Member States

and defects in vehicles and conflicting use of roads. Furthermore, road quality factors are

important. Other issues of concern are: under-reporting of road crashes; defective and non-

roadworthy motor vehicles; incompetent drivers; road engineering and environmental

deficiencies; inadequate in police inspection and law enforcement; poor road user behaviour

and safety education and institutional weakness.

Based on the above, it can be concluded that Bangladesh is faced with a number of severe

underlying problems which contribute to the poor road safety situation. The problems, as well

as possible solutions, are addressed in the next sections of this report on the road safety pillars.

9.3

Road Safety Management

National Road Safety Strategy

The National Land Transport Policy (NLTP) was adopted in 2004 by the Planning Commission

of Bangladesh, which sets a vision for “providing safer roads” and outlines policies such as road

safety auditing at all phases of road project development, construction and maintenance. The

policy also includes adopting speed restrictions on roads and safety improvement of existing

roads (National Road Safety Council, 2013).This document provides the policy basis for road

safety in Bangladesh, for example in the annual National Road Safety Strategic Action Plans,

including a long-term vision and short term target, and practical road safety manuals and

guidelines, as presented below.

National Road Safety Strategic Action Plans

Each year National Road Safety Strategic Action Plans (RSAPs), covering a three-year period, are

prepared in Bangladesh. The first RSAP covered the period 1997-1999. Bangladesh Is now

addressing the seventh RSAP, covering the period 2014-2016 and preparing the RSAP for 2017-

2019. The RSAPs contain a number of sections, with objectives, as well as further detailed sub-

sectors, with actors involved, actions and timing. As an illustration, the most recent RSAP

includes the following sections: (i) planning, management and co-ordination of road safety; (ii)

road traffic safety accident data system; (iii) road safety engineering; (iv) road and traffic

legislation; (v) traffic enforcement; (vi) driver training and testing; (vii) vehicle safety; (viii)

road safety education and publicity; and (ix) medical services for road traffic accident victims

The RSAP also includes the

vision for road safety and the goal for road safety

for the specific RSAP.

For the 2014-2016 RSAP this following vision and goal were defined:



The

vision

is to reduce the number of road accident fatalities by 50% and to reduce the

number of road accidents by 30% in the coming decade.



The

goal

for the period 2014-2016 is to reduce the road accident fatalities by 12-20%

annually.

These nine sectors are similar to the sectors defined in the ADB funded ESCAP road safety guidelines.