Bangladesh has launched its first dedicated post-accident emergency service, deploying life-support ambulances and motorcycle ambulances on three major highways to provide rapid medical assistance to road-crash victims and help halve road deaths by 2030.
Under the multi-agency Bangladesh Road Safety Project (BRSP), 60 basic life-support ambulances, 40 motorcycle ambulances and 80 highway patrol motorcycles will provide post-crash medical services and highway patrol services.
The 60 ambulances will be stationed at 10-kilometre intervals along the Joydebpur-Hatikamrul-Bogura-Rangpur, Hatikamrul-Natore-Rajshahi and Joydebpur-Mymensingh national highways.
The fleet will be mobilised through a 24/7 call centre to reach accident sites as quickly as possible.
A ceremony to hand over the vehicles was held at the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) headquarters in Dhaka on Monday in the presence of Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam. State Minister for Road Transport and Bridges and Railways Habibur Rashid was present as the special guest. State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit, lawmaker Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, World Bank Country Director Jean Pesme and RHD Chief Engineer Md Moniruzzaman were also present. Addressing the event, Minister Rabiul said road deaths could be reduced by half by 2030 through greater awareness among drivers and pedestrians, effective enforcement of traffic laws and timely emergency medical services.
"Ensuring prompt emergency medical services after accidents, alongside reducing the number of accidents, is among the government's priorities to meet the target," he said.
He said the government was also formulating a road safety act and taking initiatives to relocate markets adjacent to highways, build necessary diversions at intersections connecting regional roads, and improve road markings and traffic signs.
Identifying several factors -- such as unfit vehicles, unskilled and unqualified drivers, and excessive and uncontrolled speed -- as major causes of road crashes, he said the government would take effective measures to address them. In a keynote presentation, BRSP Director Sabbir Hasan Khan said 400 medical assistants and 1,200 volunteers had been trained under the World Bank-financed project to provide post-crash emergency support to injured people.
Motorcycle riders accounted for 32.76 per cent of road crash deaths during 2019-2024 period, followed by pedestrians at 23.62 per cent, three-wheeler passengers at 17.18 per cent, truck users at 7.09 per cent, Nasimun, Votvoti and Mahindra riders at 6.66 per cent, and bus passengers at 5.41 per cent, according to project data.
The RHD has appointed a joint venture of mPower, Addin Social Welfare and Bonstain to operate the service during the project period until June 2028.
