Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has said that the 9 demands of transport drivers have been sent to the transport ministry.

Any incongruities in the demands will be assessed, he said on Thursday (Nov 21).

The home minister made the comment at an awareness-raising programme, held at the capital’s Razarbagh Police Lines. From Nov 21 till Dec 5, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) will carry out awareness-building campaigns.

Kamal said there is a complication over the issuance of licences to drivers and we had a discussion on the matter with transport owners.

The drivers have been given time to fix their licences, said the minister, adding: “Flouting laws has become a culture in our society; we want a culture where people will feel inclined to adhere to the system.”

Drivers on the long routes need mandatory rest after eight hours on the road and the PM has given the directive to construct rest houses.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Javed Patwary observed: “I have assured officers that if they enforce the road laws then no one will be transferred but their (traffic police) behaviour has to be polite and courteous.”

In traffic control Engineering, Education and Enforcement are taken into consideration; the police look after enforcement but when a problem arises, the blame comes to them, said the IGP.

The buses must stop at the designated spots, said the IGP, saying: “We have started an awareness programme with the slogan: traffic discipline is the symbol of a nation’s civility.”

DMP commissioner, Md Shafiqul Islam, added: “If drivers, pedestrians and passengers follow rules then we won’t have the need to give any cases; the tendency to go before the other person results in accidents.”

If we give fines as per the new law then a driver may have to give his entire month’s salary and so, we will give fines to those who break traffic laws deliberately, said the DMP commissioner.

Secretary-general of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, Khondokar Enayet Ullah, says: “One quarter is exploiting the weakness of the transport workers to stir up unrest.”

Until next June, drivers will be allowed to use their existing licenses but anyone using false licenses will not be spared, he added.