Staff Reporter: Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday expressed hope that implementation of the Road Safety Act 2018, will restore discipline on the roads.
He said though the Act comes into effect from Sunday, the fine in cases of breach the law will be collected in phases.
“The new act on road safety may seem to be a law with excessive fines, but it is not about the money. Discipline will be restored on the roads due to large fines. It was necessary to create awareness,” the minister said it while speaking at a discussion titled “Road Safety and Road Safety Act 2018” in American International University of Bangladesh (AIUB) in the capital.
He said, “We relaxed the (implementation of the) law for a few days to create awareness. We gave two weeks’ time which has ended. The new law will be enacted from today (Sunday).”
The minister said that he would give directions to police so that they may not aggressively execute the fine collections in beginnings.
The minister focused on different elements which created anarchies on roads viz.lawlessness of bus drivers and motor bikers’.
He cautioned that certain bus services are cheating the public in the name of ‘sitting service’ buses.
“Some bus operators claim to provide sitting service, but these are not sitting services — these are cheating services,” he said.
“Besides, the motor bikers’ think that they are the king of the road. It is also hazardous,” the minister murmured. He also criticized political leaders and activists for not wearing helmets during riding motorcycles.
The bridges minister claimed there is no lack of development on the roads but still there is a lack of discipline.The minister also said that the much-awaited Padma Bridge will be opened in 2021.
Earlier, the government enforced the Road Safety Act-2018 from November 1.
