The Road Transport and Highways Division will be taking an initiative to maintain a data bank for drivers, conductors and helpers of the public transport system to help identify them following road accidents.
Most often drivers run away following an accident and often police also fail to identify them.
Most notably, in the case of the death of veteran journalist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury in a road accident at Karwan Bazar in the capital in November last year, the driver and conductor have not yet been caught. A probe committee of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has thus recently recommended setting up a data bank for the public transport drivers and workers.
The BRTA mentioned in its recommendation letter that the drivers, conductors and assistants must be appointed by the transport owner and a copy of the appointment letter must be submitted to the BRTA and the police.
Once the BRTA gets the appointment letter and CV from the transport owner, the information will be archived in the data bank.
BRTA Secretary Sawkat Ali told the Dhaka Tribune: “We hope the ministry will approve our proposal for the data bank.
“It would be of help to the law enforcement agencies and, in turn, to reducing number of road accidents.”
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary MAN Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have already taken the initiative to make a decision regarding the data bank. The BRTA will maintain the bank.”
He said: “Once we have a data bank, the drivers will be careful to drive, and hence accidents and other mishaps can be reduced.”
Dhaka Sarak Poribahan Malik Samity (Dhaka Road Transport Owner Association) Secretary Khandaker Anayet Ullah told to the Dhaka Tribune: “The government has been meeting with us about this issue. We agree with the government regarding maintaining a data bank for drivers.”
MAN Siddique said: “A directive has already been issued to law enforcement bodies to check the appointment letter of drivers. Furthermore, a computer-based data bank activities system by the BRTA will begin immediately.”
