'People get irritated whenever driver behavior, vehicle fitness brought up'

Road Transport Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam stated that some people get irritated whenever driver behavior or vehicle fitness is brought up during discussions on road safety.

Speaking at a discussion meeting organized by the Roads and Highways Department to mark National Safe Road Day 2026 on Wednesday, the minister expressed the government's commitment to eliminating road fatalities.

The minister called for constructive solutions, stating that the ministry and government are ready to take necessary actions if concrete steps to prevent road deaths are presented.

Tensions flared during the meeting when several drivers in attendance reacted angrily to remarks by other speakers. Addressing the crowd, the minister warned that losing tempers while driving leads to accidents, emphasizing that stakeholders must listen and work together rather than act as opponents.

The minister pointed out that not all casualties stem from structural ministry failures, citing incidents like remote van overturns, while maintaining that lack of driver awareness and skills remains a major cause of road accidents. He urged transport owner associations to actively assist in training qualified drivers.

Referring to Bangladesh's commitment at the United Nations to halve road accident injuries and fatalities by 2030, the minister stated that the country must achieve this goal and move past the culture of blaming others. He also highlighted civic responsibility, noting that citizens often complain about illegal autorickshaws or sidewalk encroachments while continuing to use or tolerate them.

The minister called upon transport owners, workers, engineers, police, and road safety experts to present specific plans, promising government cooperation to establish safe roads.

State Minister for Road Transport and Highways Habibikur Rashid, Parliamentary Standing Committee Chairman on Road Transport and Bridges Rokibul Islam, Parliamentary Standing Committee Chairman on Labour and Employment Md Shamshur Rahman Shimul Biswas, and leaders of transport owner and worker associations also addressed the event.

-SA