Local 3-Wheelers: Some MPs want them on highways till election

With locally made three-wheelers still plying the highways ignoring a ban, a section of lawmakers now want the government to suspend the ban till the next national polls.

They think this ban, if implemented strictly, will have an impact on the election results as a large number of people are involved in this sector.

The demand from the MPs was put forward by Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at a meeting of the National Road Safety Council yesterday.

"Even though I want it [the ban], local representatives won't let it happen,” a participant in the meeting quoted Quader as saying.

Experts say the plying of both low and high-speed vehicles on the same road remains a major reason for road accidents that claim many lives every year.

Last month, the government asked Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to keep those vehicles, incapable of doing 60km per hour, off the highways.

According to section 4 (ga) of the Highway Rules 2001, vehicles incapable of doing 60km an hour cannot ply highways.

In August 2015, the government banned all three-wheelers on 22 highways. Locally-made Nasimon and Karimon were banned on all highways.

Bangladesh has 3,812.78km national and 4,246.97km regional highways, shows data on the Roads and Highways Department website.

At least 3,608 people, including 423 women and 465 children, were killed and 7,786 others injured in 2,926 road accidents in the last 10 months this year, according to the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways.

At yesterday's meeting, the National Road Safety Strategic Action Plan was approved with an aim to reduce road accidents by 50 percent within 2020.

As per the plan, stakeholders led by the secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division will hold a meeting every two months to reduce the number of accidents, said a press release of the road transport and bridges ministry.