Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam on Monday called for ensuring the effective implementation of knowledge and recommendations gained from road safety projects, warning that seminars and workshops would otherwise remain mere formalities.

He made the remarks while addressing a workshop on strengthening institutional capacity and skills for road safety and road maintenance at the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) at a city hotel.

The minister said substantial funds were being spent on road safety projects, often with support from international agencies, and stressed the need to assess whether such investments were producing tangible results.

“We have accounts of how much money we spend, but the public wants to know what we are achieving,” he said.

He called for identifying accident-prone areas and analysing the causes of crashes, saying future road construction and major infrastructure projects should be planned based on crash data rather than assumptions.

The minister also urged authorities to consider roads as national assets and give greater importance to safety and maintenance from the construction stage. Roads should be repaired before they suffer major damage, he added.

He emphasised the need for a specialised police unit for road safety, trained drivers, vehicle fitness checks, speed control, helmet use by motorcyclists and greater public awareness.

Noting that around 5,000 people die in road accidents every year, the minister said negligence and irresponsible behaviour resulting in loss of lives could not be accepted.

The government aims to enact a comprehensive road safety law by December 2027 and halve road accident deaths by 2030, he added.

State Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Railways Habibur Rashid, Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Dr Mohammad Ziaul Haque and other officials also addressed the programme.