Speed Management and Safe Crossing on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway (N2) in Bangladesh
Speed-Management-and-Safe-Crossing-An-Experience-in-Dhaka-Sylhet-Highway-N2-in-Bangladesh
Speed-Management-and-Safe-Crossing-An-Experience-in-Dhaka-Sylhet-Highway-N2-in-Bangladesh
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5.7 <str<strong>on</strong>g>Safe</str<strong>on</strong>g> crosser<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Safe</str<strong>on</strong>g> crossers are <strong>on</strong>e of the effective comp<strong>on</strong>ents of the project. They were help<strong>in</strong>g<br />
vulnerable road users dur<strong>in</strong>g cross<strong>in</strong>g the road. For better road capacity, they were also<br />
resp<strong>on</strong>sible for manag<strong>in</strong>g traffic, close to the cross<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
After completi<strong>on</strong> of <strong>in</strong>terventi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> road, comprehensive observati<strong>on</strong> directed appo<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Safe</str<strong>on</strong>g> Crossers for better traffic management. They briefed the road users about safe<br />
behaviour <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> proper utilizati<strong>on</strong> of the provided <strong>in</strong>terventi<strong>on</strong>. Twelve members of Ansar<br />
VDP was deployed for this purpose. Four pers<strong>on</strong>s <strong>in</strong> each locati<strong>on</strong> were provid<strong>in</strong>g duty <strong>in</strong><br />
shift basis. Two pers<strong>on</strong>s were <strong>in</strong> each shift where shift divided by day <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> even<strong>in</strong>g. Day shift<br />
started from 6 am to 2 pm <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> even<strong>in</strong>g shift was up to 10 pm from 2 pm.<br />
Major activities of safe crossers are to <strong>in</strong>struct bus drivers for us<strong>in</strong>g the bay, not to park<br />
vehicles <strong>on</strong> road <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> close to cross<strong>in</strong>g, ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g discipl<strong>in</strong>e <strong>on</strong> the <strong>in</strong>tersecti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> help<br />
vulnerable road users to cross the road etc.<br />
5.8 Challenges<br />
Some challenges were be<strong>in</strong>g faced by project pers<strong>on</strong>nel to manage this cost effective awareness<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> educati<strong>on</strong> activities <strong>in</strong> rural sett<strong>in</strong>gs. The challenges are as follows:<br />
Regard<strong>in</strong>g village road safety committee, at <strong>in</strong>itial stage, there was a plan for c<strong>on</strong>duct<strong>in</strong>g<br />
committee meet<strong>in</strong>g twice a m<strong>on</strong>th but it was not possible. Less attend<strong>in</strong>g tendency by the<br />
members, members' bus<strong>in</strong>ess with their own job <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> country's political situati<strong>on</strong> are the ma<strong>in</strong><br />
obstacles <strong>in</strong> this regard.<br />
Regard<strong>in</strong>g sticker attach<strong>in</strong>g, sometimes bus companies were refused to stick the messages<br />
for fear of damag<strong>in</strong>g vehicle colour.<br />
Regard<strong>in</strong>g Leaflet distributi<strong>on</strong>, literacy rate <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> level of educati<strong>on</strong> of the general people<br />
varies. Sometimes uneducated villagers were unwill<strong>in</strong>g to learn <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> project staff managed<br />
them by describ<strong>in</strong>g the messages which was time c<strong>on</strong>sum<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Regard<strong>in</strong>g school educati<strong>on</strong> program, rout<strong>in</strong>e exam<strong>in</strong>ati<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> the schools, teachers’ assignment<br />
with regular school activities, special holidays <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> country's unrest political situati<strong>on</strong> were<br />
the ma<strong>in</strong> challenges for tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> video show.<br />
In CNG orientati<strong>on</strong>, Drivers were busy <strong>on</strong> driv<strong>in</strong>g CNG then attend<strong>in</strong>g the program. Hence,<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g them c<strong>on</strong>venient with their preferable time <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> locati<strong>on</strong> were challeng<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Regard<strong>in</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>Safe</str<strong>on</strong>g> Crosser, the major difficulties faced <strong>on</strong> that time were: less resp<strong>on</strong>se <strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong>structi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
of supervisor, unnecessary quarrel with drivers <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> negligence <strong>on</strong> duty at less supervisi<strong>on</strong>,<br />
unwill<strong>in</strong>gness <strong>on</strong> wear<strong>in</strong>g reflective safety vest; risky road cross<strong>in</strong>g attitudes from newly recruited<br />
pers<strong>on</strong>s etc. were the ma<strong>in</strong> challenges. Moreover, local people were creat<strong>in</strong>g pressures to recruit<br />
themselves as safe crosser were also the menti<strong>on</strong>able challenge from the community.<br />
5.9 C<strong>on</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g comments<br />
In additi<strong>on</strong> to the eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g activities, the program c<strong>on</strong>sisted of educati<strong>on</strong> activities <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> activities<br />
to <strong>in</strong>volve the local community. It has been the comb<strong>in</strong>ati<strong>on</strong> of all three activities that has caused the<br />
success of the program.<br />
Report <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Speed</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Management</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Safe</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cross<strong>in</strong>g</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Dhaka</strong>-<strong>Sylhet</strong> <strong>Highway</strong> (<strong>N2</strong>) <strong>in</strong> <strong>Bangladesh</strong> 34