Two ministers have hinted at changing the Road Transport Act even before its implementation as the government may bow down to pressure from owners and workers.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Law Minister Anisul Huq dropped the hint after a meeting of the sub-committee on the issue on Wednesday.
The government formulated the long-awaited law in 2018 by toughening punishment of drivers for road accidents in the face of intense pressure following student protests calling for road safety triggered by a deadly bus accident in Dhaka on July 29 last year.
But transport owners and workers have objected to several parts of the law and are demanding they be revoked.
The demands include making all offences under the Road Transport Act bailable, the cancellation of the provision that allows a worker to be fined Tk 500,000 for involvement in a road crash, and lowering minimum educational qualification required for obtaining driving licences from class VIII to class V.
They also demand an end to ‘harassment by the police’ and transport worker representation on investigation committees on cases under Section 302 of the Penal Code, in which the maximum penalty is death for murder.
On Febbuary 17 this year, the National Road Safety Council formed the sub-committee with Kamal as the chairman following transport workers’ protests.
Law Minister Anisul and Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan are also members of the sub-committee.
Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation Executive President and former minister Shajahan Khan and Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association President Mashiur Rahman Ranga were also present in the meeting.
The panel will make a report and submit it to the council, which will take the next steps, the home minister said.
The report was at its final stages as the sub-committee finalised the decisions on Wednesday, he added.
Asked what the sub-committee had decided about the demands of the transporters on reducing penalties, Kamal skirted a direct reply. “They have other demands besides reduction of penalties. We discussed all these and finalised the decisions on review,” he said.
He said the sub-committee looked at the related laws in the other countries, especially the neighbours.
In response to another question, the home minister said the transporters’ demands were “not fully incorporated in the law”.
“That’s why we’ve sat to find out what the problems in implementing the law are and why the problems are occurring,” he said.
“Does it mean the law may be amended again?” a reporter asked.
“Yes, it may. If the National Road Safety Council thinks that the law should be changed, they will bring it to parliament following the due procedure,” the minister replied.
Students hold placards in a human chain as they continue their campaign for safe roads for the sixth day on Friday. Photo: Asif Mahmud OveStudents hold placards in a human chain as they continue their campaign for safe roads for the sixth day on Friday. Photo: Asif Mahmud OveWhen the students called for death as maximum penalty for drivers involved in fatal road crashes among many other demands, some government ministers described the demands as reasonable.
Asked whether the government will be blamed for not delivering on the promises it made to end the students’ unprecedented protests if the law is changed now, Law Minister Anisul said the sub-committee was seeking to strike a “balance”.
“We should not say now that the offences under the law will become bailable. It fully depends on the council whether to make these bailable and if the punishment will be changed,” he said.
“Some advantages and problems of a law emerge during implementation after its passage by parliament. We want no problems in overall implementation of this law (Road Transport Act).
“We’ve made some recommendations considering all the sides. If the council accepts, these will be passed in parliament finally through due procedure,” he added.
The High Court has issued a rule asking the authorities why their failure to implement the law by publishing a gazette will not be declared illegal and beyond their jurisdiction after hearing a writ petition.
Meanwhile, the council formed a committee headed by Shajahan on Feb 27 to bring order to the transport sector, reports bdnews24.com.