Road Transport Act effective from today

The Road Transport Act 2018, a much talked-about law, has come into effect from today (November 1) after more than one year since it was passed in the wake of the student protests across the country for road safety.

Road Transport and Highways Division announced this issuing a gazette notification on October 22.

The law was passed with provisions of maximum five-year jail for any death or serious injuries caused by reckless or negligent driving and death penalty for intentional murder by driving and introduction of a penalty point system against each driving licence.

Earlier, Jatiya Sangsad on September 19, 2018 passed Road Transport Bill replacing Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1983 in the wake of  countrywide student protests after two students of Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College were killed by a reckless bus in Dhaka on July 29 of the year.

The law was  approved by President Abdul Hamid on October 9 in 2018.

Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation observed a two-day strike started from October 28 last year demanding amendment to the law.

Dhaka/Noimuddin/Mukul