WB to give $358m loan for road safety

The World Bank has approved a $358 million loan to help Bangladesh improve its road safety and reduce road accident fatalities on selected high-risk highways and district roads.

The money will be provided under the "Road Safety Project", the first dedicated road safety project in South Asia supported by the World Bank, says a press statement.

The project will help Bangladesh achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on road safety by 2030. 

The project will focus on improving safety measures on two national highways— Gazipur to Elenga and Natore to Nawabganj — along with selected urban areas and district roads.

On the two highways, the project will pilot comprehensive road safety measures, including improved engineering designs, signage and marking, pedestrian facilities, speed enforcement, and emergency care.

The World Bank expects these measures will help reduce road traffic deaths by more than 30% on the roads.

"Road accidents are the leading cause of permanent disability and the fourth leading cause of children's death globally. They disproportionately affect poor families. For Bangladesh, improving road safety is a critical economic and development priority," said Mercy Tembon, country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, World Bank.

"It will help Bangladesh develop a comprehensive program to improve road safety management and minimise tragic loss of human lives," Tembon added.   

The costs related to traffic crashes can be as high as 5.1% of the GDP. Unsafe and under-invested road infrastructure is one of the key factors for crashes.

With a sharp increase in the number of vehicles including two-wheelers in the country, safety inspections for registered vehicles remain inadequate.

The project will support the development of a long-term national programme and a National Road Safety Strategic Action Plan to improve road safety through stronger coordination among ministries and strengthening the institutional framework.