Road crashes kill 100 people a year in Chattogram, pilot project planned to curb speed
Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) is about to start a pilot project to control vehicle speed limits. It aims to stop speeding and ensure road safety in Chattogram city. A recent study found that more than 44 percent of vehicles in Chattogram break the set speed limit. As a result, about 100 people die on the roads every year.
Under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) ran a three day training workshop for police officers on laser speed cameras from 10 to 12 November. It handed seven laser speed cameras to CMP. The workshop included technical training on running the cameras and practice on the road. This will help build police capacity for effective and safe speed control.
CMP Commissioner Mr. Hasan Md. Shawkat Ali opened the workshop last Tuesday in a seminar room at a Chattogram hotel. Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) Mr. Hossain Mohammad Kabir Bhuiyan attended as special guest. In the first two days, training focused on running speed cameras. Participants practised operating the cameras and using them as a team. They also learned about routine camera care and common problems. Practice on the road gave them real experience.
GRSP Senior Road Policing Advisers Mr. Paul Symonds and Mr. Peter Jones ran the workshop. On the last day, they discussed the role of police in the Safe System approach, which is recognised worldwide in road safety. They also discussed how speed affects road crashes. Participants trained in speed control technology and in running checkpoints on the road.
In the afternoon, police split the participants into seven teams and set up separate checkpoints on Bayezid Link Road. They practised setting up and running safe checkpoints with speed cameras. GRSP trainers watched their work in the field.
At the closing ceremony, CMP Commissioner Mr. Hasan Md. Shawkat Ali attended as chief guest and gave certificates to the participants. In his closing speech, he stressed that police officers must adapt to new technology in road law enforcement. He hoped that speed control on the city’s roads will help prevent deadly road crashes.
Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) Mr. Hossain Mohammad Kabir Bhuiyan and Deputy Police Commissioner (Traffic South) Mr. Md. Liakat Ali Khan attended as special guests. Mr. Kabir Bhuiyan said the seven cameras from GRSP are an important milestone in building the ability to detect speeding and stop it. He said the project will allow more systematic monitoring and enforcement of speed limits. He said this will help improve safety for all road users in Chattogram.
Along with the speed cameras, GRSP gave police items for setting up checkpoints. They are 160 traffic cones, 50 LED traffic batons, 8 road sign boards and 32 electronic flares. They also include 8 portable jodar bars (speed breakers) and 8 portable canvas tents.
The pilot project will first enforce speed limits approved by BRTA on three roads of the city. They are Bayezid Link Road, Chattogram City Outer Ring Road and the Shah Amanat Bridge connecting road.
Among others, BIGRS Chattogram Enforcement Coordinator Mr. Kazi Helal Uddin, Transport Coordinator Ms. Sutapa Tasnim and Communication Officer Mr. Mahamudul Hasan attended the event.
