Professional driving licence: Dope tests begin today; hospitals not ready yet
The government initiative to conduct dope tests before issuing professional driving licences from today is set to face challenges due to a lack of testing facilities and preparations at the designated hospitals in the capital.
At a time when people face trouble in getting services from Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), such a move, in all likelihood, will only aggravate their sufferings, fear many of the service seekers.
According to a decision of the authorities concerned, negative dope test reports from government-affiliated hospitals or laboratories will be mandatory to get or renew professional driving licences from today.
Six government hospitals were designated for the dope tests in the city.
The Daily Star contacted the authorities of five of the hospitals yesterday. Two of them said they would not be able to do the tests for now while another said they were not even aware of the matter. Two other hospitals said they had "limited capacity" to carry out the tests.
The BRTA issues around 4 to 5 lakh licences every year, 40 percent of which are given from its three offices in Dhaka, one of its top officials said.
It issued or renewed 4.62 lakh driving licences last fiscal year across the country. However, it couldn't be known how many of them were professional licences.
"If any problem arises regarding dope tests in Dhaka city, the entire process will face trouble," the official said, wishing anonymity.
BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder said they have taken the move in consultation with the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and held several meetings with them over the issue.
The DGHS on January 11 sent letters togovernment hospitalsto take necessary steps for carrying out dope tests on those seeking professional driving licences.
"So, the hospitals should have been prepared for this," he told The Daily Star last night.
Drug abuse by bus and truck drivers is considered one of the key reasons behind road accidents.
In a circular issued on January 12, the BRTA said a person with a positive dope test report or negative comments on it would not be entitled to a professional driving licence from the BRTA.
Such a licence is a must for operating commercial vehicles or rental cars or being a driver for the government.
The BRTA is going to introduce the dope test system more than a year after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on October 22, 2020, gave directives to bring public transport workers under a dope-testing system.
Contacted, Director Brig Gen Nazmul Haque of Dhaka Medical College Hospital said they did not have the testing facilities, so they would not be able to do the tests right away.
"We have already informed the DGHS that we are trying to start dope tests soon," he said.
Kurmitola General Hospital's Director Brig Gen Fazlul Kabir said the facility was being used as a Covid-19 dedicated hospital and that they have already informed the BRTA that it was not possible for them to get people tested there at the moment.
National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital's Director Prof Bidhan Ranjan Roy Podder said they have a capacity to carry out dope tests on 20 people a day and they usually do the test on their patients.
"It would be difficult for us to do dope tests for others," he said.
Prof Abdul Gani Mollah, director of National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, also known as Pangu Hospital, said he was not aware of any such directive regarding dope tests for drivers.
He said they have a limited facility to carry dope tests.
Abu Ahmmad Al Mamun, assistant director of National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Centre (NILMRC), said they got a notice regarding dope tests but do not have any idea how many people would be tested every day.
Contacted, Farid Hossain Miah, director (hospital) of DGHS, told The Daily Star last night that they would talk to the hospital authorities to carry out the tests smoothly.