Resting places for long-route drivers yet to be ready

Four years pass after PM's directive

MUNIMA SULTANA | Published: March 22, 2022 23:48:31

Only two resting places, of the planned four, for drivers of heavy vehicles on long routes have been ready - almost four years after the Prime Minister's directive in this regard, but their inauguration would still take time.
Officials concerned said the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) nearly completed constructing the resting places at Nimshar in Cumilla and at Pachila in Sirajganj, as both were planned on its own lands. But their capacities are claimed to be insufficient, considering high volume of highway traffic.
Construction of the remaining two resting places at Jagadishpur in Habiganj and at Laxmikandar in Magura would take a long time due to lengthy process in acquiring lands.
The officials also said readying the resting places took almost four years. But, their inauguration would take time, as the instruction guideline for operations and maintenance of the places was not ready. Besides, their required manpower and residence facilities were not planned accordingly.
Prime Min ister Sheikh Hasina gave directive on June 25, 2018 to construct resting places with different facilities for giving drivers rest after every five hours of driving - to ensure people's safety on the highways. She did it, as protests took place due to several fatal accidents on the highways in the year.
The RHD later selected places, covering the Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet, Dhaka-Rangpur and Dhaka-Khulna highways, to set up two-storey buildings with facilities like overnight stay, recreation, food, tea/coffee, and parking space. It also planned to set up workshop facilities for heavy vehicles.
The officials further said the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) already formulated the instruction guideline for operations and maintenance of the places, which is now under discussion.
The instruction manual covered various issues, like - charges for resting room, parking charges according to vehicle categories and places, and maximum timing for parking etc, as all these are needed to be fixed and properly maintained with adequate manpower.
Fahmida Haque Khan, an official of the RTHD, said the resting places would be operated during day and night to provide necessary services to drivers and helpers of different kinds of goods and passenger vehicles.
When asked of their capacity, she said the places were built with some 50 accommodations for drivers and helpers, but the number would be increased.
The RTHD already held meetings on the draft instruction and recommended to charge Tk 200 for five hours for heavy vehicles with increase in charge for every hour in fraction.