Cell phones can’t be used while driving
The government is seriously thinking of using mobile courts to ensure strict enforcement of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance to bring about much-needed discipline in country’s transport sector, with a particular eye to checking the use of mobile phones by people while driving.
Home affairs minister Sahara Khatun on Wednesday, at the end
of a meeting of the Cabinet committee on law and order, said that they
would discuss with the communications ministry the possibility of removing roadside markets which often cause traffic acci-dents.
Sources said that the members of the Cabinet committee, referring to the death of 44 schoolchildren in Monday’s road accident that was reportedly caused by the driver’s use of mobile phone while driving, expressed grave concern over the indiscipline in the transport sector and disregard for the rules and regulations.
‘Legally the drivers cannot use mobile phone while driving,’ said Sahara, adding that the use of mobile phones by the drivers was a major cause of road accidents.
Sahara, claiming success in curbing sexual harassment and misuse of drugs through mobile courts, said that similar results may be achieved in checking road accidents.
The home affairs ministry, after an inter-ministry meeting, may issue a circular banning use of mobile phones while driving, said Sahara, adding that all possible measures would be taken for strict enforcement of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance.
The Ordinance imposes a fine of only Tk 500 or one month in jail or both for talking on the phone while driving.
Wednesday’s meeting of the cabinet committees on law and order was attended by LGRD and cooperatives minister Syed Ashraful Islam, information and cultural affairs minister Abul Kalam Azad, law minister Shafique Ahmed, labour and manpower minister Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain and liberation war affairs state minister ABM Tajul Islam, along with others.
Senior officials including home affairs secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikdar, inspector general of police Hassan Mahmood Khandker and heads of intelligence agencies were present at the meeting.
-With New Age input
