The Road Transport Advisory Council has decided to ban the movement of battery-run rickshaws and easybikes in Dhaka city area.
The council's Chairman and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said this while talking to journalists after the 1st meeting of the Road Transport Advisory Council at the BRTA's office in Banani in the morning.
The meeting also adopted a 'no helmet no fuel' policy and agreed to a step to remove expired vehicles without fitness from roads across the country.
Quader said, “Motorcyclists in Dhaka have been brought under control. No biker is seen now without a helmet. Now, the 'No Helmet, No Fuel' policy needs to be enforced outside Dhaka.”
He directed BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder to task district superintendents of police across the country with implementing the policy.
“The number of casualties during Eid journeys increases every year. So much progress has been made in the transport sector, including the digitization of services, but where are the results? I have been in charge of this ministry for so long. I have to face criticism. Nobody says anything about the BRTA chairman.”
The minister added, “Wherever you go, from the plains to the hilly tracks, the roads are paved. We have metro rail, the Padma Bridge, an elevated expressway, and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Tunnel. So why is there no discipline on the roads? We have to work on it. The traffic and the number of casualties should be reduced.”
Chaired by Obaidul Quader, the meeting was also attended by the mayors of Dhaka north and south city corporations, President of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation and Member of Parliament of Madaripur-2 Shajahan Khan, Public Safety Department Senior Secretary Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Shipping Ministry Senior Secretary Md Mostafa Kamal, Road Transport and Highways Department Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Noori, BRTA Chairman Noor Mohammad Majumdar, Roads and Highways Directorate Chief Engineer Syed Moinul Hasan, Bangladesh Secretary General of Road Transport Owners Association Khandaker Enayet Ullah and related officials were present.
