2024-03-13 12:30:14
The Cabinet gave in-principle approval to the draft ‘Road Transport (Amendment) Act, 2024’, reducing the punishment for offenses under Section 12.
On Wednesday (March 13), the draft was approved in principle at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s office.
At the end of the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary said in a briefing at the secretariat. Mahbub Hossain informed this information.
The Cabinet Secretary said that crimes have been reduced in 12 sections of the Road Transport Act. In 8 the fines have been reduced.
Mentioning that three sections of the Road Transport Act were non-bailable, he said, now one section of the offense has been made non-bailable while others have been made bailable.
The Cabinet Secretary said that if the technical instructions are not followed, there was a provision of imprisonment for three years. Although the punishment for this offense has been kept as before, it has been changed from non-bailable to bailable. Accident after driving recklessly or overloaded has been changed from non-bailable to bailable offence. Now only accidental death or grievous bodily harm will be a non-bailable offence.
He said, this law was made in 2018. The Road Safety Council headed by the Minister of Road Transport and Bridges decided to amend this Act. Later, a three-member committee was convened by the Home Minister. Acts are being amended based on their recommendations.
The cabinet secretary said that if the offense related to the preparation of driving license was punishable by 2 years in jail and a fine of 5 lakh taka, it is being reduced to 2 years in jail and 3 lakh taka. In the current law, there was a provision of 3 months imprisonment and a fine of Tk 25,000 for driving a vehicle even after cancellation of lienence. It is being replaced by 3 months district and 15 thousand rupees.
He said that if the duty of a conductor is performed without a license, the sentence of one month imprisonment and 5000 fine has been upheld. The clause has now added the word supervisor along with conductor. If you don’t show the rent chart or take more rent, you will be jailed for 1 month or fined 10,000 taka.
He said that till now this punishment was given for committing two crimes at the same time.
The cabinet secretary said that meter tampering would have been punishable by 6 months in jail and 50,000 taka. Now for this offense three months imprisonment, 25 thousand rupees fine and one point will be deducted. If the terminal charge is higher than the prescribed rate by the government, it will be considered as extortion and action will be taken accordingly.
He said, according to the current law, if traffic signs and signals are not obeyed, a fine of 10,000 taka would be imposed. Now the amount of fine is being reduced to 2 thousand rupees. Carrying excess weight would have been punishable by 3 years in jail and a fine of Tk 3 lakh. Now it is being replaced by 1 year imprisonment and a fine of Tk 1 lakh. With this one point can be deducted from the driver.
3 months imprisonment and a fine of 25 thousand taka for driving an environment polluting motor vehicle. He also said that it has been proposed to reduce it to 1 month jail and 10 thousand rupees fine.
Md. Mahbub Hossain said that in the current law, 1 point would be deducted from the driver with a fine of 5,000 if the passenger was transferred from place to place. Instead, only a fine of 1000 rupees is being provided. So far, there was a provision of 3 months jail and 10 thousand rupees fine if you disobeyed the instructions in what conditions and how to drive. Instead, 1 month jail and 10 thousand rupees fine is being provided.
Stating that a clause has been added that the motor vehicle owner must be insured, the Cabinet Secretary said, if not insured, a fine of Tk 3,000 will be imposed.