Stop unfit vehicles, conduct mobile courts to prevent road accidents: National Committee

The National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways on Wednesday demanded the authorities concerned conduct drives against all types of illegal vehicles, including buses without route permits, and drivers without licence to prevent road accidents and save lives during Eif-ul-Fitr travel.

The organisation has called for the immediate start of mobile court drives on all highways, inter-district roads and regional roads across the country including in the capital.

National committee president Mohammad Shahid Mia and its general secretary Ashis Kumar Dey made this call in a statement to the authorities concerned including the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).

The statement also urged the BRTA, police, traffic police, highway police and district administration to play a strict role against illegal vehicles and law breakers, including unlicensed and minor drivers.

Expressing deep concern over the regular road accidents and casualties in different parts of the country, the statement said that though accidents and unexpected deaths often occur on the roads and highways, all quarters concerned remain silent in reducing risks on roads.

In the statement, the leaders of the national committee said that in the near past, responsible officials of the government, including the road transport minister, have blamed faulty and illegal vehicles and unskilled and unlicensed drivers for the accidents.