The fatality rate in road accidents involving motorcycles is high because most of the helmets used by the riders are substandard in the country. While 100 per cent riders in Dhaka city wear helmets, it is time to pay attention to the helmet standard and raise awareness about the need to wear helmets outside the capital. Many bikers cannot afford standard helmets due to exorbitant prices as the market is completely import oriented. The speakers recommended reduction in import duty to make helmets more affordable.
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The speakers said this during a discussion on the importance of using the national safety standard helmet for motorcyclists at a city hotel on Sunday. BRAC and the World Bank jointly organized the advocacy event.
Speaking as the chief guest, ABM Amin Ullah Noori, Secretary, Department of Road Transport and Highways, said that a social movement involving government organizations, non-governmental organizations and development partners has been launched to create awareness about the issue. Needed.
“The government alone cannot enforce the standard helmet law,” he said, adding that Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI) and law enforcers are working together in this direction.
Speaking as the special guest, BRTA President Noor Mohammad Majumdar said that the number of motorcycles in the country is increasing with the growth of our economy. Not wearing a helmet at all or a substandard helmet contributes to the severity of casualties.
“Now that BSTI has fixed the helmet standard for Bangladesh, we have to ensure that no one is allowed to ride a motorcycle without wearing a standard safety helmet,” he added.