8th grade education needs to avail driving license

Staff Correspondent: The cabinet has approved in principle the draft of 'Road Transport Act-2017' keeping a provision of eighth grade education for drivers to avail driving license.

The approval was given in a regular cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair on Monday noon. Cabinet Secretary M Shafiul Alam briefed reporters after the meeting.

M Shafiul Alam said, "One would require passing class 8 and 5 respectively to become a driver and helper of commercial vehicles respectively."

The cabinet secretary said according to punitive provisions, the drivers could be jailed for one month or fined Tk 5,000 while they could face 3 years jail and Tk 25 lakh fine for reckless or harsh driving, unnecessary racing and thus committing any accident.

Driving with fake license would be treated as more punishable offence with the law proposing maximum 2 years jail or Tk 3,00,000 as fine or both.

The proposed law also kept a new provision for having license by the conductors and in default, the punishment would be maximum one month jail or Tk 25,000 fine or both.

The cabinet secretary said that the punishment for driving vehicle without fitness certificate would be maximum one year jail or Tk one lakh as fine or both.

In case of using mobile phone while driving, the punishment will be maximum one month jail or Tk 5,000 as fine.

Alam also said the proposed law incorporated a new provision of cutting "point" from the driving license for violating the rules, a provision practiced in different countries.

risingbd/DHAKA/Mar 27, 2017/Asad/Amirul