Desk Report: The role of road safety office of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) becomes controversial as it supposed to ensure safer traffic movement. Meanwhile, the outcomes of special traffic program are doubted as the traffic division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has apparently targeted privately owned vehicles and motorcycles, reports Daily Asian Age.

The last Traffic Week from August 5 to 14 shows that police filed only 9 percent cases against buses and minibuses. The 10-day-long campaign lodged around 49 percent lawsuits against motorcycles.

Allegation runs rife that some of the law enforcers have fishy deals with the bus operators while BRTA road safety department totally shifts its responsibility on police. Road accidents have been claiming lives every day in Bangladesh. In some cases, reckless vehicles rammed into roadside shops and establishments, claiming 15 lives on an average per day.

BRTA has a separate department to ensure road safety. The department is responsible to minimize causalities on roads. However, amid horrific road mishaps, the department passes its time seating back and relax.

“We have only three members at my office,” the department chief told the press while asked about the role of his office. “We even are not capable to ensure safer road if we get 100 staff in the organogram,” he suddenly changed his tone and washed off his hands by saying police are to play the main role of road safety.

“Unfit vehicles caused recent road accidents while police were supposed to pull off those from the streets,” he concluded. Meanwhile, police were found comparatively less interested to reckless buses.