PMO orders action against underage, unlicensed drivers

Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday directed Bangladesh Road Transport Authority and Dhaka Metropolitan Police to take legal action against underage and drivers without licence of public transports in Dhaka. 
PMO also directed them to take legal action against the persons responsible for deaths of two students on July 29, said a press release issued by the office on necessary actions against irregularities in public transports in the capital. 
On Sunday two students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College were killed by a reckless bus on Sunday in Kurmitola.
The directives were given in a meeting chaired by prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s principal secretary Md Nojibur Rahman. 
The meeting was attended, among others, by Roads and Highways Department, BRTA and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation officials. 
Earlier the prime minister on June 25 had given directives to ensure drivers’ rest and alternative drivers on long routes and the three ministers responsible for road transports, shipping and home affairs to monitor enforcement of her directives as well as laws to ensure discipline in the road transport sector and check deadly accidents taking place almost every day. 
Meanwhile, senior transport leaders on Tuesday night decided not to collect money from long-route transports on highways. 
They also decided to check fitness certificates and other documents of all city and long-route buses and drivers’ licences from August 3 before they would leave city terminals. 
In a meeting, leaders of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation and Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association made the decisions, the federation general secretary, Osman Ali, told New Age. 
The meeting was attended by the federation executive president and shipping minister, Shajahan Khan, said leaders. 
The association secretary general, Khandakar Enayet Ullah, said the decisions would be finalised today in a meeting with home affairs minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at the secretariat.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net