The mounting number of child fatalities on Dhaka’s roads has reached an alarming level, turning streets of the city into death traps for students. Over 1,100 children were killed in road crashes across Bangladesh in 2023, with the capital experiencing an inconsistent proportion. Sadly, 40 percent of road crash victims in the capital are students, a rate more than double that of other parts of the country. This crisis reflects systemic failure and a lack of firmness in addressing critical safety concerns.
The most vulnerable road users, children, face dangers due to poorly planned infrastructure, reckless driving and not enough members of law enforcement agencies. The majority of child road fatalities occur during commutes to or from school. According to a BUET study, 80 percent of students live within a 15-minute walk of their schools, yet poor footpaths, high pavements and crowded paths force them onto unsafe roads. The absence of basic safety measures, like zebra crossings or designated school zones with speed limits, heightens the risk of accidents.
It is a moral and community
responsibility to ensure that
our streets become symbols
of safety rather than tragedy
Despite the 2018 Road Safety Movement encouraging public awareness and fresh measures, execution remains dark. The Road Transport Act focuses only just on transport management without addressing the wider challenges of pedestrians’ safety or road design. Meanwhile, reckless driving persists, fueled by a lack of skilled drivers and poor adherence to traffic rules.
The situation demands immediate, multidimensional solutions. Infrastructure reforms must prioritise pedestrians’ safety. Roads near schools should be redesigned to comprise lowered, accessible sidewalks, clearly marked crossings and traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps. School zones, where speed limits are strictly enforced, may considerably diminish risks. Programmes like the Dhaka North City Corporation’s (DNCC) school zone project are promising steps but need broader execution to have a meaningful impact.
Enforcing traffic rules is critical. The recently approved ‘Motor Vehicle Speed Limit Guidelines 2024,’ which categorises speed limits based on road and vehicle types, offers a framework for safer streets. However, with no strict implementation, its potential will remain unrealised. Authorities concerned must also address the issue of unskilled drivers by reforming the licensing process and providing mandatory training programmes.
