Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader yesterday said maintaining discipline in transport sector was his main challenge.
“Fatal accidents often happen and intolerable traffic jams are created across the country in absence of a disciplined road communication sector,” the minister said on a visit to the proposed site of Barisal central bus terminal and under-construction road expansion works at Goriarpar in the afternoon.
Replying to a query from journalists, the minister said tender for metro rail would probably be floated in the next month.
About turning the Barisal-Faridpur Highway to four-lanes, he said as construction of Padma Bridge had started, so the connecting road of the bridge would be developed automatically.
Regarding the plying of three-wheelers, the communication minister expressed surprise and stated: astonishment said: “I heard that the Barisal City Corporation (BCC) is issuing license for three-wheelers. It is the jurisdiction of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority to provide licenses for any vehicle.
“I told the BCC chief executive officer that they cannot issue licenses to any mechanised three-wheelers. Those vehicles would never be permitted to ply on the highways.”
Drives against illegal vehicles and unlicensed drivers will continue till the number of accidents and traffic jams would be come in a tolerable level, the minister added.
Obaidul Quader further said he had talked with the departments related with road communications and found lack of coordination among them.
“If these departments would work under coordinated systems then solutions for keeping checks on the plying of illegal vehicles, unlicensed drivers, traffic jams, and fatal accidents would also be come under control”, said the minister.
Lawmakers and leaders of the ruling Awami League, officials of district and police administrations and officials of the Roads and Highway Department accompanied the minister.
