DMP may ban motorcycles from outside

Dhaka Metropolitan Police is planning to prevent motorcycles, registered in other districts, from availing ridesharing services in the capital.
DMP joint commissioner (traffic-south) Mofiz Uddin Ahmed told New Age Thursday that at a recent meeting at BRTA Bhaban they proposed that motorcycles registered in other districts but Dhaka should not get permission to avail ridesharing services in the capital.
He said that the number of motorbikes was increasing, especially after introduction of ridesharing services, as a huge number of motorcycles from different districts were coming to Dhaka. 
As a result, he observed, the traffic congestion and violation of traffic rules was increasing. 
Motorcyclists are the top violators of traffic rules in the capital, the joint commissioner stated. 
‘We have also proposed for good bus service for commuters as an alternative to motorcycles,’ he added. 
According to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, till January this year the number of total registered motorcycle is 24.91 lakh in the country.
As for Dhaka city, the number of registered motorcycle is 6.25 lakh which is about 45 per cent of the total registered vehicles in the capital. 
According to Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology’s Accident Research Institute experts, pedestrians, cyclists and rickshaw riders are the most vulnerable road users who occupy 45 per cent of all the road accident victims in Dhaka. 
ARI assistant professor Kazi Md Shifun Newaz said that motorcycle was a risky transport as control over it could be easily lost. 
The rate of causalities in motorcycle accidents was higher also as motorcyclists were non-professional, he observed. 
The teacher fears that in cases of the restriction, people would start registering their motorbikes in Dhaka city. 
‘The government should fix the maximum number of registration of motorcycles every year,’ he added. 
Road Transport and Highways Division secretary Md Nazrul Islam said that from the division they also gave instruction not to allow motorcycles, registered in other districts, to avail ridesharing services inside Dhaka. 
Ridesharing Service Guideline 2017 came into effect on March 8, 2018 by allowing commercial use of private vehicles via app-based transport services across the country.
It still awaits implementation as BRTA is continuing the registration process.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net