Ten reforms. One roadmap.
In May 2025, the Foundation tabled a ten-point proposal with the Ministry of Road Transport & Bridges and the interim government. These are the minimum, evidence-backed reforms required to interrupt the fatality curve within a single five-year plan.
The proposals were issued via a press release signed by Executive Director Saidur Rahman on 11 May 2025 and emphasise both infrastructural development and regulatory enforcement. Each reform is grounded in our six-year longitudinal crash data.
Develop a skilled, licensed driver workforce
Institutional training for all commercial drivers, phasing out apprenticeship-only licensing, with curriculum set by BRTA and delivered through accredited schools.
Expand BRTA capacity and independence
Appoint qualified chairmen with road-transport expertise (not administrative cadre), triple inspector strength, and publish quarterly enforcement dashboards.
Build road dividers across all highways
Median barriers on every National Highway (N-series) where AADT exceeds 5,000 vehicles/day — removing the single largest cause of head-on fatalities.
Separate service roads for slow-moving traffic
Parallel lanes for rickshaws, CNGs, three-wheelers and battery-haulers on all four-lane-plus highways. Mixed traffic is killing both the fast and the slow.
Full enforcement of the Road Transport Act 2018
Restore the sections of the 2018 Act that were deferred under owner-association pressure. Bangladesh cannot enforce a law it has not finished passing.
Fix driver wages and working hours
Statutory pay and maximum-hour limits for commercial drivers. Fatigue is not an accident — it is a predictable outcome of current employment terms.
Strict enforcement of traffic law
Consistent penalties protecting transport workers, passengers and pedestrians alike — supported by mandatory camera enforcement at blackspots.
Invest in rail and waterway modal shift
Renovate the railway and inland-water network. Every passenger taken off an overloaded bus reduces road pressure and road death.
Restructure the National Road Safety Council
A single accountable authority replacing the current overlap between BRTA, BRTC, DTCA, Police, RHD, LGED and city corporations.
Mandate quality helmets and IoT motorcycle safety
Enforce BSTI helmet standards, pilot speed-limiter IoT devices on all new motorcycles, and restrict highway access for riders under 18.