Dhaka: Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon on Saturday emphasised on strict enforcement of traffic rules to reduce road accidents in the capital.

‘Incidents of road accidents have increased alarmingly in recent times and reckless driving and lack of citizens’ awareness are the main reasons behind road mishaps. The law has to be strictly enforced to prevent the road accidents,’ he said while inaugurating a road traffic management and citizen’s encouragement programme aiming at preventing road accidents at Shahbagh intersection in the city, reports the UNB.

Among others, chief executive officer of DSCC Khan Mohammad Bilal, National Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts, Health and Disaster Management Secretary Shah Kamal, Dhaka District Commissioner Ferdous Khan, local Councilors MA Hamid Khan and Hasibur Rahman Manik were also present in the programme.

The DSCC Mayor said, ‘We want to enforce laws from strict to stricter to prevent the road accidents. Sometimes mobile courts are run by City Corporation. But some tragic road accidents in recent times shook our conscience,’ he said.

‘Road accidents have increased alarmingly which is a matter of concern’, the DSCC mayor said.

Blaming the drivers for reckless driving, Sayeed Khokon mentioned that the drivers, who have been plying vehicles on the streets, were mostly under-aged and many of them have no driving licenses.

Under aged younger boys are engaged to ply vehicles in the city streets resulting in increase of road accidents. Everyday passengers have been facing harassment due to misbehaviour of the helpers and supervisors of passenger buses. 

Mentioning that  using mobile phones, headphones and  bluetooth  while walking through the streets are also reasons for the road accident, the DSCC Mayor urged the city dwellers to cross roads  along the zebra crossing as well as obeying  traffic signals.

Later, Mayor Sayeed Khokan distributed awareness leaflets among the rickshaw drivers, pedestrians, bus drivers.