'77pc drivers have no license'

Over 77 per cent drivers in the country don't have driving licenses, Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers' welfare platform, said on Saturday, according to UNB.

According to the Samity, only 1.6 million drivers out of a total 7 million across the country hold Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) license.

It said at least 87 per cent of drivers of public transports in the city, drives recklessly and violates the traffic rules.

In a round table discussion over 'The way out of road mismanagement and chaos' at Jatiya Press Club, the speakers came up with the remarks.

Secretary General of Jatri Kalyan Samity, Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said, "We want to term the accidents as murders, because, we are forced to commute in such condition that lacks proper management and regulations."

Kazi Riazul Haq, chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said, "In reality, we don't have implementation of law in the country."

He urged the government to take opinion of general people before publishing the bill of proposed Road Transport Law.

The platform also proposed 10 recommendations to resolve the ongoing chaos in the transport sector.

The recommendations include - one-colour bus service by separate companies to avoid sickening competitions among drivers, forming a team with skilled persons named Public Transport Service Authority, bring the activity of traffic department under accountability, steps against passenger harassment and fare disputes, include professional and skilled persons in issuance of route permit, ensure submitting the fines collected from traffic cases to the banks directly, stopping extortion, and freeing roads from hawkers.

Ganasanghati Andolan convener Zonayed Saki, Supreme Court lawyer Jatirmoy Barua, Design and Technology Centre (DTC) former executive director Saleh Uddin Ahmed, professor of BUET Mahbub Alam Talukdar also spoke at the programme.