Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said the government is formulating a policy to control motorcycle movement on highways in the country.
"Emphasis should be given on controlling the motorcycle on the highways rather than restricting those. A policy is being prepared," he told reporters after attending the 29th meeting of the National Road Safety Council at Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) headquarters in the capital.
Replying to a question over close monitoring on the highways, Quader said: "We cannot do it so closely. There is a lack of manpower. Despite this, we are monitoring. It is going on."
The BRTA and Highway Police did not hire manpower by keeping pace with the growing pressure of traffic on the highways, he said, but the authorities concerned are trying to do it's best to this end.
"We have decided to monitor strictly the movement of auto-rickshaws and easy-bike on the Dhaka-Aricha, Dhaka-Mymensingh, Dhaka-Tangail, Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Chittagong highways. As there is a directive of the High Court, the three-wheelers will not be able to run on the highways. That's why we will closely monitor the five highways," he said.
Mentioning that people will be able to get driving licenses staying at their homes, the minister said license-seekers can apply for their licenses online from Wednesday. "They must come to the BRTA office once to participate in tests," he added.
Noting that road safety is urgent now, Quader said the government is going to take a road safety project with support from the World Bank.
The Development Project Proposal (DPP) of the scheme has already been prepared and it will be presented at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) soon, he said.
Quader, also the Awami League General Secretary, urged media to refrain from publishing the false reports on the Awami League.
Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan, AL Presidium Member Shajahan Khan, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Road Transport Division Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Noori, BRTA Chairman Noor Mohammad Majumdar, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) Chairman Tajul Islam and Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, among others, were present at the meeting.
