Abul presides, Shahjahan rules the meeting; 5-hour discussion produces little
The National Road Safety Council, chaired by Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain, was largely dominated by Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan yesterday and it failed to decide on anything significant on road safety.
The five-hour meeting discussed issues which have been talked about over and over again in the last few years, like why road accidents happen, who are responsible for accidents and what should be done about it. But, nothing concrete was decided to stop deaths on roads and bring discipline to the sector.
Shajahan has been holding the post of executive president of the Bangladesh Sharak Paribahan Sramik Federation, the apex body of all transport workers’ and owners’ with 30 lakh memberships, for the last 19 years and he flexed his muscles yesterday.
Shajahan, flanked by his federation leaders, played down the seriousness of the road safety issue by questioning the accuracy of the fatality figures. He claimed the numbers have gone down.
He also tried to divert the talks to the brink of making the discussion pointless by demanding to know why some agreements made with transport owners since 1980 have not been implemented.
When film star Ilias Kanchan, a vehement road-safety activist, suggested that the discussion be focused on road safety, Shajahan asked him to stop talking and listen to him.
Shajahan also blamed a section of the media and the civil society for putting transport owners and workers in confrontation with the people by making road safety issue over emphasised.
He then had an altercation with Deputy Inspector General of Police (highway police) Humayun Kabir over effectiveness of the police wing and alleged that its members extort motorists.
“The highway police do nothing. They extort,” Shajahan told the meeting amid strongly opposition from Humayun.
Shajahan said he submitted to state minister for home a list of spots where drivers get extorted.
Despite being a cabinet minister and a senior leader of ruling Awami League, Shajahan has been seen very keen on protecting the interest of road transport sector trade unions.
After the meeting was over everybody left the room but Shajahan Khan was seen speaking to his federation leaders at a corner of the room in a low voice.
He was heavily criticised by the media and the civil society recently after he suggested that 28,000 people be given professional driving licences without proper tests. He even went on to say that education should not be mandatory for one to get a driving licence.
Later in the day, Syed Abul Hossain said SSC pass is not mandatory for getting driving licence. “If one can read and write and understand signs and signals, we will consider him an educated enough for getting a licence.”
However, with the Shajahan-led federation’s recommendation, a large number of people already obtained professional driving licences from the BRTA without any tests.
During the meeting, Shajahan had expressed that he was unhappy with BRTA Chairman Ayubur Rahman Khan who has taken a strong stance against issuing driving licences without proper tests.
The National Road Safety Council was formed in 1995 by representatives of ministries and divisions of the government, law enforcement agencies, experts and different organisations to stop accidents and deaths. The meeting which was supposed to be held every three months was held after almost a year yesterday.
The communications ministry had taken an attempt to invite civil society members, especially those who are now demanding that the communications minister resigns, to yesterday’s meeting but it failed due to strong opposition from Shajahan Khan and his union leaders.
THE DECISIONS MADE
The meeting yesterday decided to form two sub-committees.
Prof Anwar Hossain of Dhaka University will head one such committee that will collect public opinion on road safety. The other committee will be headed by State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku and it will engage Rab and Special Branch of Police to prevent overloading of vehicles and hunt down people who make fake licences.
The council meeting decided to outsource the job of issuance of fitness certificates to vehicles. Several private companies could be given the job in an attempt to have tests done on vehicles meticulously before given a clean bill of health.
Sources say that taking bribes BRTA employees take photographs and “check” vehicle road worthiness in minutes. Outsourcing will also ensure transparency, the sources said.
In the meeting, a permanent fund for road repairs was talked about for several hours and the decision was made to create the fund with money from sources like issuance of fitness certificates, tolls from bridges and fines for overloading vehicles.
“We will send a proposal in this regard to the cabinet this month for approval,” said the communications minister after the meeting.
The meeting also decided to produce 2,000 instructors who will teach people how to drive. They will also teach drivers traffic rules and road safety. Accident Research Centre (ARC) of Buet and the BRTA will work together to produce the instructors.
When reporters asked Abul Hossain why the decision they had made yesterday were so similar to the ones made in earlier council meetings, he said his ministry decides but cannot implement alone. He said his ministry requires cooperation from other ministries for implementation.
HOME MINISTRY CRITICISED
The home ministry was yesterday criticised for its “indifference and reluctance” to implement decisions of the communications ministry.
National Road Safety Council member Prof Anwar Hossain of Dhaka University identified three major reasons for accident–overloading, over speeding and overtaking.
At the meeting yesterday, the communications ministry said police were supposed to check these malpractices. They are supposed to ensure that no unfit vehicles are on the road, drivers use seatbelts, they do not talk on their phones while driving and carry authentic driving licences.
State minister for home Tuku could not say why his ministry failed to implement the communication ministry’s decisions.
Syed Abul Hossain asked the home ministry to ensure that steps are taken in this regard.
Home Minister Shahara Khatun was in the meeting but she had left early.
Courtesy of The daily Star
