PUTTING OFF NASIMAN, KARIMAN, UNFIT VEHICLES FROM HIGHWAYS, Govt gets fresh directive [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

PUTTING OFF NASIMAN, KARIMAN, UNFIT VEHICLES FROM HIGHWAYS, Govt gets fresh directive

Local January 26, 2017

The High Court Division in a verdict on Wednesday gave fresh directives to the government to make the highways safe for travelers by making them off limits for unfit vehicles as well as locally improvised slow moving unauthorized three-wheelers called nasiman, kariman and bhatbhati.
The fresh directives were given as previous HC directives fell on the deaf ears of the government, said lawyers.
A bench of Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo also directed the home secretary to issue a circular asking the district administration authorities to enforce the prohibition on unauthorized vehicle movement on the highways.
The bench also directed the police to take action against drivers and owners if they ran nasiman, kariman and bhatbhati on the highways.
The deputy inspector general of highway police and the police superintendents were directed to ensure that no nasiman, kariman and bhatbhati plied on the highways, particularly in Khulna, Bagerhat, Jessore, Satkhira, Narail, Magura, Jheniadah, Chuadanga, Meherpur and Kushtia.
The respondents were directed to submit compliance report every three-month.
On September 15, 2014, the HC had directed deputy
commissioners and SPs of Khulna, Barisal, Madaripur, Faridpur and Rajbari to make the highways in their areas off limits for nasiman, kariman and bhatbhati.
The HC gave the verdict responding to a public interest litigation writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh in February 2014.
Later, lawyer Manzill Murshid told reporters that the PIL was filed after many people were killed in accidents on highways caused kariman, nasiman, bhatbhati and other vehicles lacking fitness.
Respondent Bangladesh Roads Transport Authority in an affidavit informed the court that the National Road Safety Council on September 29, 2010 took the decision to put off nasiman, kariman and bhatbhati from the highways.
It submitted that on March 10,2011 the council had asked the DCs to enforce the ban on unauthorized vehicles using the highways.
BRTA also submitted that SPs in the 10 southern districts had been directed to throw unauthorized vehicles off the highways.
Manzill told reporters that the DIG for the highways, and the SPs of 10 southern districts did not carry out the orders issued by the HC in February 2014.
He said that contempt motions would be brought against them if they repeated such disobedience.
BRTA surveys conducted in December 2013 found 1.08 lakh unregistered nasiman, kariman and bhatbhati doing business on the highways.
At least 6,055 people were killed and 15,914 others were injured 4,312 recorded road accidents across the country in 2016, according to a report compiled by Passengers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh on the basis of newspaper reports.
The reports show that 56 per cent of the traffic accidents took place on the highways, 23 per cent in urban centres and 21 percent in the countryside.
The report shows that three lakh unfit vehicles and 10 illegal lakh nasiman, kariman, bhatbhati and easy-bikes mainly caused the accidents on the highways.