Small fine for 1st time offenders
After the week-long public awareness programme on the new Road Transport Act finishes, police will fine small amounts to first-time violators of traffic rules.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Shafiqul Islam made the remarks while attending a press briefing at DMP Media Centre yesterday.
“We will inform them [first-time traffic rules violators] about different sections of the new Road Transport Act. We will tell them that they can be punished with a fine up to Tk 25,000 in future,” he said.
Strict rules and the fear of being penalised with a hefty amount would improve discipline on roads, the DMP chief hoped.
Responding to a question, he said the law would be strictly implemented on the traffic rules’ violators without any consideration of their positions or designations.
People can appeal against the fines if they think they were penalised without any reason, he added.
Answering another question, the city police chief said authorities would take firm action if any police official take bribe from traffic rule violators instead of penalising them with fine.
“We will take departmental action if any traffic police violates law,” he said.
Around 800 officials of DMP’s Traffic Division have already been trained on the new law. They will fine the law violators manually until their Point of Sale machines get updated, Commissioner Shafiqul said.
Meanwhile, announcements are being made through loudspeakers at significant bus terminals and intersections to raise awareness on the new law.
The much-talked-about Road Transport Act, 2018 came into effect on November 1. It was passed by the parliament on September 19, 2018.
According to the law, maximum penalty for driving without licence is a fine of Tk 25,000 or a six-month jail term or both. Maximum punishment for driving vehicles without registration is six months’ jail sentence or Tk 50,000 fine or both.
The highest punishment for honking banned horns is three months’ jail term or Tk 10,000 fine or both.
The law says the maximum punishment for illegally modifying vehicles’ body parts is three years’ jail sentence or Tk 300,000 fine or both.
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