Photo: Rajib Dhar/Dhaka Tribune

The PMO gave directives on transport management, road management, fitness and licence of vehicles and dissemination of government decisions through the media

In a bid to ensure road safety in Dhaka, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has issued a set of directives for the authorities concerned, asking them to take up different measures including keeping the doors of running buses closed and allowing passengers to get on and down from the buses only at the stoppages.

The directives came at a meeting of the PMO’s Governance Innovation Unit (GIU), titled “Development of Traffic System in Dhaka City,” held at the PMO on Thursday, reported BSS.

Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman chaired the meeting, where GIU Deputy Director Mohammad Ali Newaz Russell made a powerpoint presentation on road safety issues.

The PMO gave directives on transport management, road management, fitness and licence of vehicles and dissemination of government decisions through the media.

The PMO directives include having the drivers’ and helpers’ names on display with pictures, as well as the driving licence and mobile numbers at two noticeable places on the public transport vehicles by August 20, maintaining all activities of the Traffic Week until the next instruction, and introducing automatic electric signalling system in the capital city.

In addition, wearing helmets must be made mandatory for motorcycle riders, and only two riders, including the driver, should be allowed on a motorbike.

Drivers of passenger vehicles, especially the long-distance buses, must wear seat belts when driving, and arrangements should be made to install seat belts for passengers as well.

The meeting also decided to take effective steps to completely jaywalking on the roads within 100 metres of foot overbridges or underpasses.

The PMO directed the authorities concerned to publicly show appreciation to the citizens who abided by the traffic rules.

The meeting also decided to take steps so citizens feel motivated to use various facilities with ease and comfort, such as ensuring cleanliness and security of the foot overbridges and underpasses, adequate lighting in the underpasses, and installing CCTVs and mirrors outside the underpasses.

The zebra crossings and road signs in all the streets of Dhaka must be visible, while the footpaths must be freed from the hawkers, illegal parking and illegal structures so pedestrians have space to walk.

The meeting made a decision to deploy mobile courts, ensure presence of law enforcement members and run random checks of the fitness of vehicles and driving licences in at least two places between Mohakhali flyover and Farmgate.

Special initiatives must be taken for road-crossing for school and college students with the help of senior students, scouts and BNCC just before and after the academic activities. All the educational institutions in Dhaka should coordinate in this regard, and the Ministry of Education can issue the necessary directives.

Regarding the fitness and licence of vehicles, the meeting decided to take steps against illegal transports, and in case of providing fitness certificates to the vehicles, the authorities concerned were directed to take fruitful steps after inspecting the vehicles.

The authorities will have to expedite the process for distributing licences among the drivers without licences. In this case, drivers can be issued a learner’s licence. After successfully passing the test, the candidates can be provided with full licences within the shortest possible time.

If there is a shortage of officials and employees, the vacant spots can be filled by the authorities concerned.

To ensure all-out publicity of these measures, steps must be taken to ensure wide-range coverage of these decisions by the media. For the content, the directives can be collected from the PMO, if necessary.

Besides, directives have already been issued to different ministries and divisions over the ongoing activities to restore discipline in the road transport sector and ensure safety on the roads and highways.

Today, the principal secretary to the prime minister, chief coordinator on SDG Affairs at the PMO, senior secretary of the Local Government Division, PMO secretary, Roads and Highways Division secretary, CEOs of Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations, DG (Admin) of the PMO, and DG (GIU) of the PMO will inspect various points between the Airport Road and Nagar Bhaban.

The concerned offices will send their “quick win,” short-term, mid-term and long-term plans to the PMO regarding road safety afterwards.

The GIU will review the steps already taken to improve the traffic system and resolve the traffic congestion jam in Dhaka, and submit a report before the PM’s principal secretary.



