Road Transport Act: Experts demand amendment

Road Safety Foundation, a non-government organisation advocating safe roads and driving, yesterday demanded revision of the proposed Road Transport Act-2018 as the new law will not be able to protect the interest of transport workers and common people.

“Issues relating to road safety did not get importance in this proposed law,” MA Hamid Sharif, vice-chairman of the organisation said, adding the draft which recently got cabinet approval does not protect the interest of transport workers or passengers.

“Only the interest of transport owners got priority here,” he added.

Addressing a press briefing at Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the capital, he urged the authorities to make amendment to the proposed law in lights of the draft Road Safety Act 2008.

The organisation also placed a 16-point demand which includes a public transport system management free of political influence, increasing punishment for those responsible for road accidents and continuous drives against unskilled drivers.

The organisation also demanded all vehicles without valid documents be removed from the streets, operation of public transport on franchise method instead of ownership and separate lane for public transports among others.

Sharif, a former member of the past committee that prepared the draft of the Road Safety Act in 2008, said back then the law did not see light due to opposition from transport owners and workers.

“It is not possible to bring discipline in the sector with the proposed act, because road safety issues are very obscure in the new draft and issues related to drivers and workers professional development were ignored,” he observed.

Shubrata Chowdhury, executive president of Gonoforum, demanded an end to the unstable situation centring the student protests.

Shahnewaz Hasanat-E-Rabbi of Buet, Asadullah Tareque, general secretary of Oikya NAP, MS Siddiqui, a legal economist, also spoke. Jyotirmoy Barua, another vice-chairman of the foundation, moderated the event.