After delaying it for more than a year, the proposed ‘Road Transport Act 2017’ will be placed before the Cabinet on Monday amid student protests for safe roads

In March last year, the draft law received the cabinet’s initial nod and it took more than a year to be vetted by the law ministry.

The transport leaders with some of them in the government blocked the law after the cabinet had passed the draft with harsher punishment for traffic rules violations such as driving without licence.

Now the draft will be placed in the cabinet after vetting by the law ministry.

“The new law will bring discipline on roads,” Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader told Bangla Tribune.

The new law proposes maximum punishment of drivers responsible for deaths in road accidents as well as minimum schooling for obtaining a drivers’ licence.

Sources in the law ministry say, the draft proposes death penalty in line with the Penal Code’s Section 302 for murder by road accidents will cause the death penalty.

Injuring people through road accidents will lead to life imprisonment under the Section 304.

The 1983 Motor Vehicle Ordinance has been transformed into a law following the High Court’s order. 

“The government has taken the initiative to discipline the runaway transport sector,” Law Minister Anisul Huq told Bangla Tribune.

Some of the provisions in the draft

>> To obtain a driving licence, an individual has to clear at least eighth grade. The existing law does not provide for any educational qualifications.

>> The minimum age for a driver's license remains at 18 years while for professional drivers it's 21 years.

>> The law makes licences for drivers' assistants mandatory. Those seeking licences, have to clear fifth grade. The existing ordinance has provisions for assistants' licences, but no educational qualification is required.

>> Penalties for driving without a licence have been doubled to a maximum 6-month jail term and Tk 50,000 fine.

>> The new law has provisions of one-month prison or Tk 25,000 fine or both for working as a driver’s assistant without a licence.

>> Using mobile phones while driving will result to a month in jail or Tk 5,000 fine.

>> Driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics will result in up to three months in jail or Tk 35,000 fine or both.

>> The new law will allow police to make arrests without warrants in offences which can cause a six-month jail sentence or Tk 50,000 fine.

>> Penalties for unfit vehicles plying on the roads have been doubled a year in jail or up to Tk 100,000 in fine.

>> Passengers wrongly occupying seats reserved for women, children, elderly and handicapped people on public transports will face a month in jail or Tk 5,000 in fines.

>> Offences like driving on the wrong lane, obstructing traffic movement, transporting goods and passengers on the roof, carrying more than one pillion rider on motorcycles and riding without helmets as well as riding on the footpaths will cause up to three months in jail or Tk 35,000 fine or both.

Point-based system for drivers

The new law introduces a penalty point or demerit point system, in which the authorities will issue cumulative demerits, or points to drivers on conviction for road traffic offenses.

A driver’s licence will be assigned a total of 12 points, which will be subtracted depending on particular offences.

For instance, the new law proposes deducting 1 point for speeding.

A zero-point will lead to cancellation of the licence.