Lorries and covered vans remaining parked on roads at Sayedabad in the city on Sunday, the first day of goods transport owners' indefinite countrywide strike — FE photo Truck owners and workers went for an indefinite strike from Sunday to press home their seven demands, including amendment to some sections of the recently enacted Road Transport Act (RTA) 2018.
The truckers, under the platform of Bangladesh Goods Transport Owners Workers United Association, observed their work abstention, particularly in Dhaka division, for the first day.
Besides, the truck drivers and workers, under different banners, prevented vans, covered vans, mini-trucks and trucks from plying the roads at major exit and entry points of the city, like - Jatrabari, Postogola, Gabtoli and Bosila etc. The strike disrupted the goods transportation.
The announcement of the strike came from a rally, held at Tejgaon truck-stand in the city on Saturday.
Talking to the FE, convener of the platform Md Mokbul Ahmad said, "We will continue the strike in Dhaka division until the demands are met."
"We haven't yet got any invitation from the government for discussing our demands," he added.
However, he hoped that a solution will come, if the government's representatives sit with the truck owners and workers to discuss the demands.
"We are not demanding abolition of Road Transport Act 2018. We just want amendment of its some sections."
Mr Mokbul, also the president of Bangladesh Covered Van Truck Ponnyo Paribahan Malik Association, said a driver cannot afford paying Tk 0.5 million as fines, if an accident occurs on the highway.
Besides, death penalty for truck drivers is not fair, as they provide necessary services to goods transportation sector.
All types of goods transportation will remain stopped during the strike, he added.
In a visit to Tejgaon truck-stand on the day, the FE correspondent found no transportation-related activities, as the truck drivers and helpers, forming groups here and there, refrained from their usual work.
Abdus Salam, who drives covered van especially on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway, said punishment in the new law is too much for the drivers. They are not killers, and no one wants to kill people intentionally.
"Only the drivers are not responsible for accidents on highways, pedestrians are also sometimes reckless in crossing the roads," he added.
The demands of the truckers include - stopping police harassment and frequent checking on the highways, setting up truck terminals and stands at suitable spots with resting and dining facilities adjacent to the highways, halting overloading of trucks, and returning driving licences to drivers without imposing fines.
They also demand that licence to drive heavy vehicles should be issued to all drivers of heavy vehicles, and they should be allowed to drive trucks with light vehicle driving licence until they get licence to drive heavy vehicles.
Lastly, they demand unconditional release of a driver - Hasmat Ali, a member of Tangail Truck Owners Association, and other transport workers arrested in connection with road accident cases.
RTA 2018 was passed in the parliament on September 19. According to the new law, if anybody commits an accident for reckless driving, and kills or injures someone seriously, the driver will face a maximum five years' imprisonment or a fine of Tk 0.5 million or both.
Besides, if it is proved that a driver has intentionally killed anyone, the incident will fall under either Section 302 (murder) or Section 304 (culpable homicide) of Penal Code.
The maximum punishment under Section 302 is death penalty, while it is life imprisonment under Section 304.
However, road safety activists criticised the act, saying the punishments for deaths caused by reckless driving is not enough.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
