Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday urged all, particularly the media, to help raise the awareness of passengers and pedestrians about abiding by traffic rules to check road accidents.

‘Drivers have to be punished. Well, we’ll do it. But you (media) should create awareness so that passengers and pedestrians abide by traffic rules. It’s my earnest request to you all,’ she said responding to a question at a press conference, reports the UNB.

The press conference was arranged over her recent visits to Saudi Arab, the UK and Australia at her official residence Ganobhaban.

‘All want drivers to be punished. Well, they drive recklessly or don’t drive properly. This is true. At the same time this is also true there are some rules to move on roads. But how many of us follow the rules?’ questioned the Prime Minister.

She said when an accident occurs it is never considered that the passengers and pedestrians might also be at fault.

Mentioning that there are footbridges and underpasses to cross roads, but pedestrians hardly use those, Hasina said, ‘If anyone crosses a road by raising hand before a bus and he or she falls victim to an accident… whom will you hold responsible – the driver or you?’ asked  Hasina.

‘So, there’re some traffic rules for pedestrians and they should follow these,’ she added.

The Prime Minister urged television channels to raise awareness over what to do by pedestrians while crossing a road. No one should dangle his or her hand outside through the window while travelling by a bus as it is unlawful, she mentioned.

‘You can’t dangle your hands outside a bus in any way. If you do so, you may lose your hands,’ she said.

Pointing at recent incidents of losing arms in road accidents, Hasina said people are making outcry for a person who lost a hand, but they did not think he did not follow the traffic rule.

The Prime Minister went on saying: ‘Motorcycle riders don’t use helmets and passengers don’t fasten seatbelt in many cases…why does a mother moving with her child run suddenly while crossing a road? …a speedy bus can’t be stopped right away.’

Hasina said sometimes drivers try to accelerate speed after even a minor accident fearing public wraths which lead to further fatal accidents in many cases. ‘People should stop taking the law in their own hand and shouldn’t beat drivers either in case of any accident,’ she said.