The Road Safety Foundation has called on political parties to include a 13-point commitment in their upcoming election manifestos to ensure safe and people-friendly public transport across Bangladesh. In a press release issued on Tuesday, the organization said that extortion and corruption under political patronage have prevented the establishment of a sustainable transport strategy, leading to increased traffic congestion and road accidents that disproportionately harm poor and middle-class families.

The foundation’s proposals include restructuring the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) to oversee BRTA, BRTC, and DRCA, ensuring transparency and management reforms, and introducing company-based modern bus services through route rationalization in the capital. It also urged the enactment of a road safety law, mandatory use of modern technology in vehicles, withdrawal of expired vehicles, institutional driver training, and trauma care centers at accident-prone highway points.

Additional recommendations include safe road design for small vehicles, regular safety audits, forming a unified transport ministry, allocating funds in the national budget for awareness programs, and creating a Tk 700 crore trust fund to support road accident victims.