Dope test to be made mandatory for drivers: Mayor Atiqul

Dope tests would be made mandatory for every driver, and they must pass the test before getting behind the steering of any vehicle, said Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam after attending a meeting on road safety with a group of students yesterday.

“This measure will encourage them to stay away from drugs,” Atiqul said, adding that they require more time to implement demands of the students, as they have to remove “many obstacles” in road and transport sector, piled up for many years.

DNCC organised the meeting at Nagar Bhaban in Gulshan to inform of their initiatives taken after the recent spate of student demonstrations following the death of Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) student Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury by a speeding bus at Pragati Sarani in the capital on March 19.

A group of students from BUP, North South University, East West University, Brac University and Independent University, Bangladesh participated at the meeting, attended by representatives of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

BRTA authorities were faced with heavy criticism from the students, for allowing drivers with unpermitted license and unfit vehicles, along with corruption at BRTA offices. Students said they want the authorities accountable so that their demands are fulfilled.

Their demands include broker and corruption-free BRTA; following rules in issuing driving license and vehicle fitness; a stop to running buses on contract basis; re-installation of digital traffic system; half-fare for students; establishing foot-over bridges and zebra crossings at necessary places; taking the city transport system under six franchises; and including a chapter about traffic rules in primary school textbooks.

Students said bus owners must stop running buses on contract basis, that has allowed the drivers to be reckless and left the city transport system vulnerable to accidents.

When the students wanted a time-frame to implement their demands, the DNCC mayor said, “We agree to all of your demands, but it will take time. You have to give us more time and gradually we will fulfil your demands.”

Claiming that they have already started to implement the demands of students, the mayor said, “DNCC has decided to set up red bus stop signs and zebra crossings, construct footbridges and underpasses, passenger sheds and speed breakers.”

The DNCC mayor said they have planned to construct a model road from Pragati Sarani to Malibagh that will comprise all facilities of a safe road.

Accident Research Institute of Buet will help the authorities with their expertise and research, Atiqul added.

DNCC Chief Executive Officer Abdul Hai, BRTA Chairman Moshiar Rahman and DMP's Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Mir Rezaul Alam also spoke at the programme.

On March 28, the DNCC mayor had the first meeting with the students, which was cut short due to a deadly fire incident at Banani. The mayor said they will again sit with the students and authorities concerned after a month, to update them.

Source: thedailystar