Bike ban to stay: Quader

Right now, the government has no plans to allow motorbikes to ply the Padma Bridge, due to safety reasons, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday.

Initially, there was no restriction on motorbikes. But certain issues led to the decision to disallow the vehicles. "Everyone [bikers] goes at such high speeds," he said.

Quader said this at a dialogue organised by Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters' Forum at the secretariat.

Bridges Division banned motorcycles on Padma Bridge on June 27, as thousands of bikers overwhelmed the toll-plaza employees and two bikers died in a crash on the bridge.

Asked whether the government will lift the ban, Quader said, "We need to accept the reality... The number of vehicles will increase [if the ban is lifted], and these will move at high speed... After considering all these things, we'll think about it later."

He said they were successful in enforcing helmets for bikers in the capital, but rural areas still need more work in this regard, he added.

Asked whether authorities will reduce metro-rail fare, the minister said they have fixed a reasonable fare. "When people begin travelling on metro rail, reaching the station in three minutes and the destination in 40 minutes, I hope they will accept the fare easily."

PM'S VISIT TO INDIA

Replying to a question, Quader, also general secretary of Awami League, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ongoing visit to India has been successful.

"Yes, there has not been any deal on Teesta, but we have got Kushiyara's water. We are not returning empty-handed," he said, adding that Dhaka and New Delhi signed seven memorandums of understanding during the visit.

Quader also expressed his hope that the Teesta water-sharing issue will be resolved soon.

The issue, he said, has been pending due to some reservations of the chief minister of West Bengal, he observed.

Meanwhile, Quader brushed aside the allegation that the cabinet is weak. "Some members of the cabinet have come from the grassroots. They may have some personal weakness, but in general, the cabinet is not weak," the minister said.