It’s always a welcome move when there is an update to an archaic and outdated legal framework or policy for governance. By okaying Toll Policy 2014, the government has taken a step to acknowledge that it is high time that we transport our roads and highways infrastructure from 1851 – the last time our policies regarding road tolls were visited upon some 163 years ago – to the present era.
A lot of our nation’s problems stem from the fact that we are willing to complain about how we are short-changed in terms of the development of our national infrastructure, yet we never pay our taxes the way we should, and neither do we want to be an equal partner in our own astounding growth story as a nation. A brother-in-law of mine told me last week, paying tolls is a problem for those who don’t like paying taxes. That insight at least to me couldn’t be any truer.
It’s a very real problem, and our thought process about shelling out reasonable money for services is a major impediment to our development. Reluctance is our real enemy. Yes, and bureaucracy hasn’t done us any favours either.
The lack of a distinct vision and direction that would allow our roads to develop along with us has always been more of a patchwork job than a coherent canvas until now. Major visions regarding our national roads and highways network were last put in place during the Ershad regime.
The Sheikh Hasina-led governments post-1/11 have indeed done some stellar work in the area, as a result of which they will continue to have a shield against attacks directed at their rule and legitimacy. Their performance and progress in areas such as this will keep them and us, the people, in good stead for the foreseeable future. We need to encourage steps that are productive.
Motorists now pay tolls in three highways, 50 ferry crossings, and some 61 bridges. That is a pittance compared to what wonders a small sum from those traversing our highways often can do for the country we live in. We need a steady flow of money to keep up infrastructure development at a fast pace and compete with the world and our neighbours, who are leaps and bounds ahead of us.
Most countries around the world have toll roads and congestion charges that work wonders for their road maintenance and traffic. Taking tolls for the usage of roads to travel is not a new idea, it existed since 2,700 years ago. It’s never been popular, but it’s been effective and in the present-day scenario, it benefits us more than it does our rulers. There has always been outrage, and governments have generally always overlooked it.
Our draft toll policy, while too far-reaching for its own good in taxing rickshaws and CNGs, which need to be excluded, is very reasonable in other aspects and forward-thinking. Toll charges are set not to exceed a maximum of Tk1,000, that too for heavy cargo trucks, and in fact decrease dramatically in price for the rest of the 13 categories.
As a business owner, I will for the sake of my country’s growth and wide reaching benefits to my business, accept that Tk1,000 charge, and as a citizen be more than okay to pay the Tk400 or so for my car to travel from Dhaka to Chittagong on the rare occasion that I make that trip.
All you have to ensure to continue to have my future patronage is wide, world standard, non-congestive, well-maintained highways where the conditions on the road do not end up killing thousands every year.
It’s not as oppressive as some are making it out to be, and it certainly isn’t going to significantly drive up prices of goods and services like some critics are preaching. It’s revisable every few years, so we can change it. The new policy keeps any future changes and moves regarding the matter in the hand of the RHD, and as such, no cabinet approval or act of parliament is required going forward except that the pricing tiers have to be approved by the relevant ministry.
That move will likely empower the RHD to cut the red tape and get straight to developing our networks. I am surprised that the roads for cities will continue to remain under our city corporations, as they have had a terrible track record for maintaining our city roads and should be punished for it. I would like to see the government hand over all roads to the purview of the RHD.
I was, in light of the above, surprised how after announcing such a good policy overall, the government had to backtrack from its celebratory rhetoric the very next day into telling people that the policy was only for new roads and highways under development.
Fortunately for us, the draft policy in its present form is far more wide-reaching and was envisioned to ensure that the entire network of roads were taxable. The government must remain steadfast, despite criticism, and do what’s necessary. Wanting to reduce national criticism and acquiescing as a result, on the grander vision proposed in the draft policy, will be most tragic. Let us not be apologetic about the need for this.
What will make the entire process of toll collection and contracts awarded fully transparent and easily monitored? To not allow corruption and stealing in the process of setting this up (easier said than done). To have forward thinking toll collection methods so as to not make the entire process cumbersome and counter-productive.
I hope there is a digitisation of toll collection, the numbers of which are published every quarter, and that we use an open system of e-tendering. It is our duty and that of the media to highlight favouritism and manipulation as and when we see it. That all decisions taken by the RHD are beyond reproach of mysterious awards.
That is the biggest challenge, and that is where, like most forward thinking Bangladeshi policies, we fail to live up to the people’s aspirations. The prime minister must understand and recognise how this policy and its implementation will require her constant attention going forward, that lip service paid to the matter won’t be enough, and that her government must see it through.
Substantively, this could be her government’s single most important game-changing policy. We, the people, must also do our part and pay up for the implementation of a vision that is far more real and patriotic than singing our national anthem in record numbers.
