Committee for curbs on fake licences

The committee, headed by former shipping minister and Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation executive president Shajahan Khan, formed to bring back order on roads and control accidents, recommended on Wednesday that no driver with fake licence or without licence would be allowed to drive vehicles on roads.
At a briefing after a meeting of the committee held at BRTA Bhaban in the capital, Shajahan Khan reiterated the recommendations. 
‘Our transport workers do not have the common knowledge regarding how to behave with the passengers, including how to pick them up and help them get off from the vehicles,’ he said. 
The committee that finalised 111 recommendations on Wednesday was formed on February 17 this year at the 26th meeting of the National Road Safety Council. 
The committee finalised the recommendations at a time when student protests for road safety was revived after the death of a Bangladesh University of Professionals student on March 19 as a reckless bus driver ran over the student at Pragati Sarani. 
These recommendations are nothing new as they have already been mentioned in the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1983, Bangladesh Labour Act 2009, directives of prime minister Sheikh Hasina and traffic laws while the High Court, different ministries and Dhaka Metropolitan Police have already issued the same directives.
After the meeting, the former shipping minister told reporters that some drivers were driving with fake licences as they feared that they would lose their livelihood during training. 
About the media, Shajahan Khan explained that when students held a demonstration media outlets continued to broadcast the incident, which in turn incited other students. 
‘When students’ interviews are televised, they become happy that the media has granted them exposure,’ he said, adding that media could broadcast these incidents but they needed to be cautious about covering incidents having the potential for disruption.
‘When an accident occurs, journalists should not resort to incitement,’ he said. 
Shajahan Khan said that they compiled all the recommendations made at times by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the sub-committee headed by Professor Anwar Hossain and other stakeholders. 
They also recommended on-job training and incentives for transport workers, developing 1,000 driving instructors, strengthening BRTA by appointing 3,500 new staff, creating one or more taskforces to monitor the implementation of the recommendations and emphasising urgently-needed actions alongside immediate implementation of the Road Transport Act 2018. 
On March 31, an opinion sharing-meeting would be held at BRTA Bhaban where representatives from the civil society would attend to share their opinions on the recommendations, Shajahan Khan said. 
On April 3, at another opinion-sharing meeting, journalists would be invited to share their opinions on the recommendations, he said. 
Then final recommendations would be submitted to the road transport and bridges ministry on April 4, he added. 
For immediate actions the committee recommended bus route franchise, restriction on unfit vehicles on roads, a bar on modifications of the vehicles and plying of three-wheeler on national highways, use of seat belts for drivers and passengers in front seats on buses and trucks, a ban on retro-reflective stickers on cycles and rickshaws and checking of documents and health of drivers before starting off from the terminals. 
Members of the committee also comprised of some influential transport leaders, including former state minister and Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association executive president Moshiur Rahman Ranga, its secretary general Khandaker Enayet Ullah and workers’ federation general secretary Osman Ali.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net