One of the key prerequisites for road safety is following the speed limit. Limiting speed on the road saves lives. In this regard, the Cartogram City Corporation (CCC) has taken several initiatives to control motor vehicle speeds in the city to implement the speed limit guideline. Additionally, CCC is collaborating with various international organizations, including Vital Strategies, to improve road safety including creating awareness about speeding. The CCC has prioritized this life-saving initiative on the road and will continue it in the future.
CCC Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain made these remarks as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of a mass media campaign on speeding aimed at raising public awareness about the “Motor Vehicle Speed Limit Guidelines 2024.” The campaign was officially launched this afternoon at the CCC conference hall. The mayor inaugurated the campaign by clicking on a computer to play a video and unveiled two posters urging compliance with speed limits.
The campaign materials were developed under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), with technical assistance from the global public health organization Vital Strategies.
During the event, Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain said that battery-run rickshaws have become very common on city roads, but they cannot control speed properly. Their uncontrolled speed increases the risk of road crashes. “We are working to regulate such risky vehicles to ensure safer roads,” he said. He added, “As part of our awareness efforts, we are using the slogan ‘Safe Drive, Save Lives.’ We will continue such life-saving initiatives on the road.”
Referring to data from a report jointly published by CCC and the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP), the mayor said, “Between 2021 and 2023, there were 362 road crashes in Chattogram city, causing 293 deaths and injuring more than 1,100 people. Another report based on 2024 data will be published soon. We will use this data to plan our future activities.”
As a special guest, CMP Deputy Commissioner (Traffic-South) Liakat Ali Khan said, “CMP police enforcing laws to control speed limits in the city. We are working together with the CCC. I hope this campaign will play an effective role in encouraging drivers to obey speed limits.”
Enforcement Coordinator Quazi Helal Uddin discussed BIGRS activities on road safety in Chattogram. He said, “BIGRS operates in 27 cities around the world to reduce premature deaths and disabilities caused by road crashes. Globally, speed management is a key factor in road safety. Research shows that reducing average speed by just 5% can decrease crash risk by 30%. Higher speed not only increases the likelihood of a crash but also its severity. That’s why various initiatives are being undertaken to manage speed effectively.”
Vital Strategies Technical Advisor Aminul Islam Sujon explained the objectives of the campaign. He said, “The campaign includes videos of 30, 45, 60, and 90 seconds in length, which will be broadcast on websites, YouTube, social media platforms, and digital roadside screens.” He also explains the process of making this campaign videos through research among drivers in various cities and found that – what kind of videos influence drivers. This videos created as a result of the findings of the campaign.
The videos feature Rebeka Sultana Neela, wife of late youth organizer and politician Ariful Islam, who died in a road crash. In the video, she shares her experience of losing her husband and calls upon everyone to drive within speed limits to prevent further tragedies. It is worth noting that on the night of November 7, 2023, Ariful Islam (42) and his friend Souvik Arjun (44) were tragically killed when a speeding truck ran over them in Dhaka.
Two different poster designs have also been created for installation along city roads, urging drivers to follow speed limits. These materials will also be disseminated through the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and the CMP.
Officials from BRTA, CMP, CDA, and representatives from NGOs like YPSA, along with journalists from various media outlets, attended the event.