Desk Report,
Threat of 72-hour transport strike from August 12 if 8 points are not met
The Bangladesh Road Transport Owners-Workers Coordination Council has made eight demands, including increasing the economic life of commercial motor vehicles from 20 and 25 years to 30 years. The organization has set a deadline for the government to accept these demands within 15 working days. If the demands are not met within this period, they have threatened to launch a 72-hour transport strike across the country from August 12.
Threat of 72-hour transport strike from August 12 if 8 points are not met
This demand was made at a press conference held at the Abdus Salam Auditorium of the National Press Club in the capital this Sunday morning. The Bangladesh Road Transport Owners-Workers Coordination Council organized the press conference. The eight-point demand is to amend sections 98 and 105 of the Road Transport Act 2018. To increase the economic life of old commercial vehicles from 20 and 25 years to 30 years, and to suspend the campaign against old vehicles until that happens. To reduce the double advance income tax imposed on commercial vehicles in the budget and maintain it as before. To increase the period for importing commercial reconditioned vehicles from 5 to 12 years as an aid to removing expired vehicles from the roads. Implement the provision of returning the accident-affected vehicle to the owner within 72 hours. Formulate a scrap policy for expired vehicles. Create separate lanes for three-wheelers and unlicensed light vehicles on the highway. Issue and renew driving licenses quickly and implement the 12 points of the Workers’ Federation.
Saiful Alam, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, gave a written statement at the press conference. He said that recently the government has ordered BRTA to remove old buses and trucks aged 20 and 25 from the roads. This has created unrest in the transport sector. Strikes have been called in districts. In such a situation, the transport sector’s owner-worker leaders held a joint meeting on July 20. There, it was decided to give the government 15 working days to implement its eight-point demands.
Saiful Alam said that in the interest of keeping the road passenger and goods transport management operational, they are requesting the government to resolve the issue within the next 15 working days, i.e. by August 11. Otherwise, in view of the demands of the country’s transport owners and workers, all buses, trucks, covered vans, goods transport and light vehicles will be closed for 72 hours from 6 am on August 12 to 6 am on August 15.
The written statement also said that vehicles that are not fit or are proven to pollute the environment, whether new or old, should be declared unfit for movement. Earlier, the rule was that expired vehicles could not ply in metropolitan areas, but they could ply in districts – this rule should be maintained.
Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association President Kafil Uddin Ahmed, Executive President MA Baten, Vice President Tofazzal Hossain Majumder, Bangladesh Bus-Truck Owners Association Chairman Ramesh Chandra Ghosh and leaders of transport owners and workers’ organizations were present at the press conference.
