Staff Reporter :
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia on Thursday said that DMP and BRTA could not to enforce traffic discipline on Dhaka city roads.
He said this while addressing the ‘Traffic Awareness Programme’ at Mohanagar Nattya Mancha in the capital.
To bring discipline on roads, BRTA has filed 7,128 cases and realised Tk 1,23,56,110 as fine between January 1 and March 19 during mobile court drives against violation of traffic rules. But the situation has not yet improved.
While sharing some facts over the road crash that claimed the life of a BUP student on Tuesday, the DMP chief said the bus of ‘Suprobhat Paribahan’ did not have the route permit for plying on Dhaka streets.
Rather, the vehicle had the permission to ply on the Dhaka-Brahmanbaria highway, the commissioner said.
This particular bus was previously booked for 27 times on charge of violations of traffic rules, he said.
He reiterated the call to the bus owners to abolish the system of daily contracts with drivers and their helpers which make them desperate.
Asaduzzaman warned of tougher actions against unfit vehicles and random parking in the city.
He sought help and cooperation of the agitating students to restore traffic discipline on Dhaka roads.
The DMP chief gave his observations two days after Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury was run over by an unruly bus of ‘Suprabhat Paribahan’ which was reportedly on a mad race.
Abrar, himself a road safety campaigner, met this tragic end when DMP was observing traffic week to bring discipline on the city streets.
The death of Abrar ignited a flare of protests in Dhaka, and demand for safe road in the country. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has issued a press release requesting the owners and transport workers to coordinate fully with it so that the disciplinary issues on the Dhaka roads can be addressed duly.
In the press release issued yesterday, BRTA advised all the authorities concerned to ensure that no vehicles are on the streets without route permit or accurate fitness. It also warned drivers against races on the streets or reckless driving.
