Bangladesh Community Road Safety Initiative Project Presentation to Stakeholders Venue: MC Washington DC. November 11, 1999

Current Situation in Bangladesh 70 deaths per 10,000 vehicles Fatality rate in Bangladesh is most severe in Asia and 40 times that of industrialized countries Pedestrians are the ones that are most affected: –They account for 60% of all road accident fatalities, –46% of those killed are men –women and children are secondary victims – 40%-50% of hospital beds are occupied by traffic accidents Note: All are 1997 figures

Current Road & Traffic Situation Inadequate separation of major highways (from living and commercial activity) Inadequate pedestrian facilities Poorly designed roads Growing traffic levels and higher speeds Ever increasing number of vehicles on the road (motorized and non-motorized vehicles) Untrained drivers often using fake licenses Ignorance on road safety among drivers and pedestrians Weak enforcement of traffic laws

CURRENT ROAD AND TRAFFIC SITUATION Categories of Road Traffic Accident Casualties Categories of RTA -Fatalities 40% -Serious injuries 32% -Slight injuries 54% Only 20% included in the official statistics level of under-reporting was high and consistent through out Bangladesh 79,000 casualty estimated in Bangladesh in1997 (5 X official figures)

Annual Accident Costs- 21,435 taka million ($437 million) Gross National Product 1,616,309 taka ($32, 986 million) Accident Costs %GNP(1.4%) ANNUAL ACCIDENT COSTS AND GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT (1997)

Current Road Safety Actions The National Road Safety Action Plan, drawn up in 1996, lists out 9 sub-sectors of road safety: Accident Data Reporting Road Safety Engineering Traffic Legislation Traffic Enforcement Driver Training and Testing Vehicle Safety Education Publicity, and Medical Services Road safety needs to be recognized as a high priority at the local level or else there is a danger that it will stay as a neglected area for action by the central government.

Road safety initiatives thus far have been relatively silent on the roles of the victims: –pedestrians, –young men –women, –children, and –passengers of buses and rickshaws This group of people has two important roles: –To become self-aware in order to protect themselves from dangerous situations –Act as a pressure group to influence policy makers, legislators, traffic police, and vehicle operators to take corrective actions

SHIFT IN STRATEGY NOW NEEDED Bring in voices of victims in the design choice of safety measures Address weaknesses in central agencies by using local communities Behavioral changes through education and awareness Good analytical work, legislation and proposal for action have been made under the Road Safety Action Plan National Road Safety Council has been established Rising support exists for road safety

Can raise profile of Road Safety among decision makers Provide funds, expertise for implementation of Road Safety Has good understanding with other donors on Road Safety Can provide links with Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP). The CRSIP is a pilot initiative of GRSP OPPORTUNITIES FOR BANK INVOLVEMENT Responds to CASPRIORITIES Promoting better public sector management Promoting more equitable human development in relation to health, income, security and gender Creating partnership between government,private sector and NGOs

Secretary of Ministry of Communications Additional Secretary of Finance (ERD) Joint Secretary of Ministry of Local Government ROAD SAFETY CHAMPIONS

Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Nitol Group ( Mr. Matlub Ahmad, chairman of a leading bus and transport co. Grameen Phone, a leading provider of telecommunications services The Rangs Group with business interest in automobiles, buses and trucks Glaxo Wellcome Pharmaceutical (Mr. Haque the CEO, has recently been involved in a major traffic accident 4-6 representatives offered to support advertising space for road safety ROAD SAFETY CHAMPIONS : CORPORATE PARTNERS

ROAD SAFETY CHAMPIONS: CIVIL SOCIETY Director of Bangladesh National Mother & Child Health Hospital CAMPE an Educational Awareness Institute (Ms. Chowdhury, Executive Director BRAC (A large national NGO) has a component for Road Safety in its activities IMCT (Mr. Murtaza Babu- Ed) Mr. Ilyas Kanchan (Film Actor who lost his wife and children in a road accident) Daily Star, Independent and New Nation Bangladesh Road Transport Association (Mr. Haq, President)

Proposed Project COMPONENTS AStrategic Communications Program (SCP): Involves building on existing initiatives and includes other activities like: *General population through mass media *Seminars and/or workshops for road users, pedestrians, drivers community member, government officials, and private groups or individuals *Drivers training program BLocal Initiatives and Program: *Preparation of District and local local level Road Safety Action Plans *Implement RS projects by local RS Groups with assistance from District and Center. Include: *physical measures (fencing, signage, road repair, and safety watch posts) *law enforcement equipment and training; *emergency medical, legal and financial help to victims

Proposed Project Components Community Road Safety Fund and Institutional Strengthening: This is to establish the fund and to strengthen the capacity of its partners in road safety activities: –provide regular, continuing income to support RS activities –orientation and training activities to RS partners –review and approve local road safety action plans –finance individual road safety projects –monitor and evaluation of RS activities Recognition - this is a temporary measure with an explicit exit strategy to mainstream road safety initiatives.

Global Road Safety Partnership Global Burden of Disease Lower respiratory infections 1 1 Ischaemic heart disease Diarrhoeal diseases2 2 Unipolar major depression Conditions arising during the 3 Road traffic accidents Perinatal period 3 4 Cerebrovascular disease Unipolar major depression4 5Chronic obstructive pulmonary Ischaemic heart disease5 disease Cerebrovascular disease6 6Lower respiratory infections Tuberculosis7 7Tuberculosis Measles8 8War Road traffic accidents9 9Diarrhoeal diseases Congenital anomalies1010HIV

Global Road Safety Partnership The Silent Killer  One 747 crashes 400 killedinternational media attention  1 planes crash / wk 4000 deadinternational outcry  100 planes crash / mth 40,000 dead panic  1,000 planes crash / year 400,000 dead boycott  1,750 planes worth / yr j700,000 dead from road accidents but no one seems ?

Vulnerable road users have two important roles Become more self-aware to protect themselves CRSIP PROJECT PROCESS Act as pressure groups to influence Strategic Components Education programs to vulnerable groups. Victims’ assistance Physical measures Mass awareness programs Driver training Police training Incentives, penalties To recognize and support Local Community Road Safety Plans Involve key local actors Analyze safety problems Plan physical and educational solutions Undertake driver training Assist victims National-Level Actions Strengthen NRSC, BTRA, Transp. Orgs. Legislation, Penalties Driver, Police training plan & incentives Guidelines & manuals Implementation by: Local public works authority Education focus groups Driving schools Mass media Victim counselling & financial assistance Accident Perpetrators Bus & truck drivers Motorcycle drivers Rickshaw & handcart ops. Actors: Policy-makers Legislators Traffic police Vehicle operators Local Govts. Mass media Target Groups GOB NGOs CBOs Priv. Sect. Causes: Untrained drivers Ineffective & corrupt police Multiple use roadways Poor pedestrians & NMV facilities Accident Victims Pedestrians Young men Women & children Bus & Rickshaw passengers Inputs Ownership Influence Advice Fund Traning national police Public/private national Implemented by Mass media Training national police Public/private national transport businessmen