Play store
The government plans to station an ambulance at every 10-kilometre interval along highways to ensure faster emergency response to road crashes, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam said on Monday.
He made the announcement while inaugurating an emergency ambulance and motorcycle service at Road Bhaban in Tejgaon.
The service will operate round the clock, seven days a week, the minister said.
Sheikh Rabiul Alam said nearly 5,000 people die in road crashes in Bangladesh every year, stressing that stricter enforcement alone would not be enough to reduce the death toll.
He said raising awareness among drivers and pedestrians, alongside stronger enforcement of traffic rules, could help halve road deaths by 2030.
The government also plans to establish dedicated emergency units at hospitals located along highways to provide faster medical treatment to road crash victims, he said.
The minister further announced plans to formulate a new road safety law by 2027.
Health State Minister MA Muhith, who attended the event, said 24 trauma centres would be established along highways across the country to ensure prompt treatment for road accident victims.