Road
Safety Awareness Agreement Signed Between BRAC and Denmark
BRAC, the leading national NGO and the
Government of Denmark entered into an agreement worth Tk. 1.04
crore to increase road safety awareness of people in Bangladesh.
Through this project of one year duration, the BRAC Road Safety
Awareness Programme seeks to increase road safety awareness of
people both at national and community level. The project interventions
include creation of road safety animation videos and airing of
those on BTV at national level. The people living beside and using
Patuakhali Amtoli road leading to Kuakata sea beach will be brought
under a comprehensive road safety awareness campaign at the community
level.
The agreement was signed at the BRAC Centre
in Mohakhali, Dhaka on Thursday April 27th with Mr. Niels Severin
Munk, Ambassador, Denmark and Mr. Abdul-Muyeed Chowdhury, Executive
Director, BRAC as signatories.
Bangladesh has one of the highest accident
fatality rates in road accidents – higher than 125 deaths
per ten thousand registered motor vehicles as against the developed
countries, where the rate is below 5 deaths for ten thousand vehicles.
It is estimated that 10 to 12 thousand people are killed due to
road accidents annually. In absence of any highway ambulance service,
post accident first aid, trauma management and transportation
of victims to hospital and clinics for treatment – deaths
due to bleeding are very high after serious injury accidents and
few who survive become poorer and often disable for lack of support.
The Government, civil society, NGOs, press
and public in general are very concerned about the increasing
trend of road accident. Many of the international funding agencies,
donor countries and private sector businesses are now coming forward
to contribute towards road safety in the country. To address the
road safety problem in the country, BRAC has conceptualised an
innovative Community Road Safety Programme. The programme mobilizes
community living along busy roads, make them aware of road safety
and facilitate them to plan, undertake and sustain their local
road safety initiatives. Through its programme, BRAC involves
the community through motivation, education and self-help resulting
in a developed sense of ownership of its own road safety.
Since 1972, BRAC has been working
with the twin objectives of poverty alleviation and empowering
the poor with a holistic approach. It has made laudable contributions
in the field of microfinance, health, education and other sectors
including road safety. |
