Motorcyclists in Dhaka and Barisal on Friday organized protests calling for the withdrawal of the proposed Motorcycle Movement Policy 2023, as well as the resumption of motorcycle movement on the Padma Bridge.
Hundreds of motorcycle riders formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, while a similar program was also held in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall in Barisal city.
Several biker groups, including Bike BD, KB Riders, National Bikers and BD Bikers, took part in the human chain in Dhaka. The program in Barisal was arranged by the Barisal Biking Community.
The agitated bikers strongly criticized the provision to limit motorcycle movement to 30km/hour in cities, mentioning that vehicles usually run at a speed of 40-50kmph.
They also criticized the provision to disallow motorcycles below 126 CC on highways, as well as the bar on carrying passengers on highways and on motorcycle travel on highways for 10 days before Eid.
The protesters urged the authorities to review whether or not motorcycles are truly behind the most road crashes before banning and limiting the vehicles on roads and highways.
The program in Barisal was addressed by Rafiqul Islam Labu, Dilruba Reza, and Zahidul Islam, among others.
It may be recalled that a nine-member committee formed by the Ministry of Road Transport has prepared the draft policy for motorcycle movement. The committee includes representatives from Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Bangladesh University of Engineering (BUET), Police, and the Directorate of Roads and Public Ways (R and H).
The draft policy mentions three objectives—reducing road accidents by regulating motorcycle movement, encouraging the use of less risky motorcycles, and raising awareness among motorcyclists.
According to the draft policy, motorcycles are used for short distance travel for emergency purposes. But in recent times, the movement of motorcycles has been seen everywhere, including on highways and especially during festivals.