The government has taken a policy decision to make GPS mandatory in public transport to prevent road accidents nationwide and strengthen overall road safety.
Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Sheikh Rabiul Alam said, “A policy decision has been taken to implement GPS in public transport.”
He made the remarks at a meeting held on Sunday at the conference room of the Road Transport and Highways Division, where various measures to strengthen road safety were discussed.
He said the chief engineer of the Roads and Highways Department has been instructed to work on priority basis to make U-turns safe.
He further said that the Local Government Division has been asked to take necessary measures to ensure safe U-turns on local roads connected to highways.
“Ensuring public safety and comfort is the government’s primary goal,” he said.
He urged all concerned to remain vigilant to avoid repeating past mistakes ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
He said passengers would be safely disembarked and embarked before vehicles board ferries, and necessary safety measures would be ensured.
Strict instructions have been given to the relevant authorities and transport owners not to register any vehicle without fitness certification, he said.
Habibur Rashid, State Minister for Road Transport and Highways Division and Railways, said, “BRTA needs to be further strengthened.”
He said collective initiatives are needed to implement the government’s development plans.
In a press briefing after the meeting, Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam MP said the upcoming Eid journey would be made more comfortable through implementation of the measures taken.
He said initiatives are being taken to make highway police more active, strengthen control over goods-laden vehicles, and shut down uncontrolled temporary bus counters.
He said although the recent Eid journey was relatively comfortable, some accidents did occur, and measures including temporary suspension and cancellation of route permits have been taken against those responsible.
Regarding the collection of excess fares, he said BRTA will make it mandatory to display the list of fixed fares visibly at bus counters and on vehicles.
Immediate action will be taken if any complaint is received, and the government is also taking initiatives to fix fares for AC buses, he said.
He said if coordinated initiatives continue, future Eid journeys will be safer and more passenger-friendly.
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shah Alam and Advocate Shamshur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Member of Parliament for Pabna-5 constituency, were present at the meeting.
