A special training workshop on implementing the Motor Vehicle Speed Limit Guidelines was held for police personnel in an effort to reduce road accidents and fatalities in Chattogram city.
The two-day workshop, organized by Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) began at the Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View on Wednesday.
The program is being conducted on May 20–21 under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS). The main objective of the workshop is to strengthen the capacity of members of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) in managing vehicle speed and ensuring safer roads.
According to a recent study, more than 44 percent of vehicles in Chattogram exceed the designated speed limit, resulting in nearly 100 deaths annually.
Motorcycle riders were found to be the most frequent violators of speed regulations. The Road Safety Risk Factors in Chattogram: Status Summary Report 2024 revealed that nearly 70 percent of motorcycles operate at excessive speeds.
The workshop was inaugurated by Hasan Mohammad Shawkat Ali, Commissioner of CMP.
He stressed that alongside enforcing existing traffic laws, raising awareness among drivers is equally important. He said saving lives must take priority over saving time and urged drivers to avoid reckless speeding.
CMP Deputy Commissioner (Sadar) Ferdous Ali Chowdhury attended the event as a special guest.
The training sessions were conducted by Peter Jones, Senior Road Policing Advisor for Asia Pacific at GRSP. Discussions focused on the role of police in preventing road crashes, risks of overspeeding, use of technology, speed management strategies, and safe checkpoint operations.
Under the Motor Vehicle Speed Limit Guidelines 2024, driving above 80 km/h on highways, 50 km/h in urban areas, and 30 km/h near schools can result in up to three months’ imprisonment, a fine of Tk 10,000 or both.
Peter Jones said that vehicle speed management is one of the most critical elements of the “Safe System” approach to road safety.
He said that collaboration with CMP, Chattogram City Corporation, and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is highly significant in ensuring safer roads.
A total of 72 police officials, including traffic sergeants, sub-inspectors, inspectors, assistant police commissioners, and additional deputy commissioners, participated in the workshop. Four inspectors from BRTA also joined the training.
At the end of the workshop, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Wahidul Haque Chowdhury distributed certificates among the participants.