4 nations sign deal to open road links

Transport ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal on Monday at a meeting in Thimphu signed the Motor Vehicles Agreement allowing cross-border movement of passengers and goods among the four South Asian countries by road. They set a six-month target for completing the installation of the prerequisites, including information technology system, infrastructure, tracking and regulatory systems to commission vehicular traffic among the four nations, according to a joint statement endorsed by the BBIN transport ministers’ meeting. ‘The BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement will certainly boost up economic development, seamless movement of passengers and goods and people-to-people contact among the four countries,’ Bangladesh road transport minister Obaidul Quader said after signing the agreement in the Bhutanese capital. Asked for comments, he said, the agreement would open up an avenue for the other countries of the region to be part of the initiative as the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) had a similar dream, which was yet to be materialised. ‘We have begun a new era of regional connectivity with the signing of the Motor Vehicles Agreement among four countries,’ the minister said. Bhutan’s information and communications minister Lyonpo DN Dhungyel, Indian road transport, highways and shipping minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari and Nepal’s physical infrastructure and transport minister Bimalendra Nidhi signed the ‘Motor Vehicles Agreement for the Regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal,’ on behalf of their respective countries. Asian Development Bank vice-president Wencai Zhang was present, among others, during the signing of the agreement. Obaidul Quader said that the MVA would create an environment for using the seaports of the BBIN countries. The joint statement rolled out a six-month work plan from June to December 2015 for implementation of the MVA. The contracting countries agreed to prepare protocols for implementation of the MVA by July and formalise the agreements, including the protocols, by August 2015, according to the joint statement. The negotiation and approval of protocol would be completed by September and the trial-run would begin in October, said the statement. The ‘BBIN Friendship Motor Rally’ is planned to be held in October to highlight the sub-regional connectivity and the scope and opportunities for greater people-to-people contact and trade under the initiative. The Bangladesh cabinet on June 8 endorsed a draft of the ‘Motor Vehicles Agreement for the Regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic’ among the four countries. Fees and charges would be paid in the currency of the BBIN country in which the vehicle is entering, according to the draft. Authorised officers of the countries concerned could search or inspect the vehicles crossing their territories. But none would be allowed to carry such goods through a country where those were illegal, the draft said. The agreement would be renewable every three years. The move by the sub-regional countries is an alternative to a proposed deal initiated by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation secretariat. The deal was stalled at the 18th SAARC summit in Kathmandu in November 2014 as Pakistan refused to sign the Motor Vehicles Agreement and the Regional Railways Agreement, citing lack of ‘internal preparations.’ India has reportedly been keen on the multimodal connectivity plan, which will give it unhindered access to Afghanistan and central Asian countries. But Pakistan’s consent is necessary for connecting Afghanistan. The proposal has now been revived as India looks to improve communication with its eastern neighbours in order to develop its insurgency-ridden and economically backward northeastern states, according to officials. ‘The ADB-supported South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation programme is helping enhance interconnectivity between our four countries,’ said the joint statement. There will be authorised routes and authorised immigration checkpoints and land customs stations to facilitate the sub-regional connectivity by road. All vehicles of a BBIN country will require permits for passing through the other contracting countries, the draft says. News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net