2,067 people were killed in road accidents across the country in 2014, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told Parliament on Monday.

That means almost 6 fatalities per day on average resulted from road accidents.

‘As per the FIR (First Information Report) of police, a total of 2067 people were killed and 1535 others injured in 2,027 road accidents in 2014,’ he said replying to a starred question from Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury, MP (Chittagong-12).

The minister said the Accident Research Institute (ARI) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) identified 209 accident-prone spots on national highways. Subsequently, officials of the Roads and Highways Department identified a further 18 accident-prone spots visiting the places.

‘So, a total of 227 black spots (accident-prone spots) on the national highways have been identified. Out of the black spots, the department has already taken countermeasures for 27 black spots from its maintenance fund and countermeasures for 56 other spots have been taken under various projects,’ he said.

A project titled 'Improvement of Road Safety at Black Spots in National Highways' involving Tk 165 crore from GoB fund has been approved by Ecnec to take countermeasures for the remaining 144 black spots, the minister added.

Replying to a tabled scripted question from Nurunnabi Chowdhury MP (Bhola-3), the Road Transport and Bridges Minister said the transport sector incurred a loss of some Tk 70 crore due to subversive activities and arson attacks on vehicles from 5 January, 2015 to 3 February, 2015.

As many as 325 vehicles were torched and 500 other vandalized in the time, he noted.