JS – 06 JS passes Road Transport Bill keeping maximum punishment for reckless driving

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JS – 06

ROAD-TRANSPORT-BILL

JS passes Road Transport Bill keeping maximum punishment for reckless driving

SANGSAD BHABAN, Sept 19, 2018 (BSS) -The Road Transport Bill, 2018 was passed in the parliament keeping a provision of maximum five years imprisonment and Taka 5 lakh fine or both causing severe injury or death of any person due to reckless driving.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today moved the bill in the House which was unanimously passed by voice votes with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.

Placing the bill, the minister said the new transport law will be enacted through replacing the existing Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1983.

The proposed act also has a provision of minimum six months and maximum two years imprisonment and minimum Taka one lakh and maximum Taka 5 lakh fine for using fake driving licenses.

Even minimum six months and maximum two years jail and minimum Taka one lakh and maximum Taka 5 lakh fine for using and displaying fake registration number on the vehicle, according to the proposed law.

The bill contains 14 sections and 126 articles while the existing law containing 177 articles and 12 schedules.

The cabinet on August 6 approved the proposed bill keeping maximum punishment of five years’ imprisonment for causing death to a person by reckless driving, drawing strong criticism from road safety campaigners who termed the sentence insufficient to end anarchy on roads.

In March last year, the cabinet approved on principle the proposed legislation — Road Transport Act — but it remained shelved at the law ministry for more than a year for vetting, amid opposition from transport owners and workers to some of its provisions.

But the government decided to place the draft law before the cabinet amid nationwide student agitation for road safety, following the death of two college students in the capital under a bus on July 29.

Earlier, the bill was sent to the concerned parliamentary standing committee on September 13 for further scrutiny.

BSS/OG/QC/2130 HRS