Maximum three years punishment for a driver in a road accident peoples were raising allegations of grievance under this law .Killing people and having bail for such concerned crime. Drivers know the punishment and penalty in an accident is not too much. Bail will also be available if desired. In the wake of this, peoples demand for a new road transport law. Although the law was enacted long ago, but for invisible reasons it was suspended for eight years.
After many casualties new laws are in place. Death of two college students in July last year, the law was approved by the cabinet on August 8 of that year. The law was passed in Parliament on September 7 last year. The Gazette was issued on October 1 of that year. The government will issue notification of the date of implementation of the law. Government made a committee. The committee recommends some changes to the law. Under the new law, punishment has increased a lot. Following the directives of the Prime Minister, the Road Transport Act 25 has come into effect from November 7 this year.
The new road transport law has increased the punishment for crime. There is a maximum penalty of five years for road accidents. Whatever is in section 304B of the Rule, the driver is punished with a maximum of five years imprisonment or a maximum fine of Tk 5 lakh or both fine if any person is seriously injured or killed in an accident caused by negligent of driving. Drive without license you have to pay 25 thousand earlier, the fine was to be calculated at Tk 600 cash or if you use a fake license you will have to pay one to five lakh or Six months to two years in prison. Currently the maximum fine for breaking the traffic signal is 500 Taka. Under the new law you have to pay 10 thousand, you have to pay the same amount for wrong side dive. Drive without helmet, now the fine is 10 thousand taka. Under the new law. Road experts think this has been much better than the past. They were recommended to increase the punishment. But it is much stronger than this existing law. They will be more careful than ever if this is effective. For the discipline of the road law can be enforced in a systematic way, it will have a positive role to play. Road concerned say that after the implementation of this law, transport operators and workers-owners can go back to their previous movements. They have done such a thing in the past. If drivers or workers are punished for any crime, they have spoken out against that punishment. Drivers - workers and owners - should understand that this law is not a burden for them, but will help in ensuring safe roads and protecting the lives of ordinary people. Culture of breaking rules must be developed. People’s wants Safe roads if the new law goes into effect, they also think the discipline on the road will return.
Md Shaikhul Islam Raton is working with Bangladesh Post
