Sub-regional vehicles movement deal

An agreement on the movement of motor vehicles between four SAARC nations is expected to be signed in next June. It will be a sub-regional deal involving Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, to be finalised in Thimpu, the Bhutanese capital. The upcoming arrangement has been termed complementary. As a cross-border road connection arrangement, it is going to be compatible with the proposed and broader SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement. Observers predict the 4-nation motor vehicles agreement will see remarkable economic and tourism prospects for the SAARC sub-region. Worth mentioning, the Agreement for the Regulation of Passenger and Cargo Vehicular Traffic involving the 8-member SAARC is set to be finalised in late June in Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital. Had not it hit snags, the 4-nation sub-regional motor vehicles agreement would have been finalised at the 18th SAARC summit at the Nepalese capital last year. Pakistan reportedly disagreed with some points in the draft agreement. It has not joined the deal.
With two complementary vehicle movement agreements put to full operation, the SAARC countries are expected to be benefited in many ways. These will cover sectors ranging from economy to travel and tourism, apart from expediting people-to-people contact. This will, undoubtedly, be a fillip to the concept of connectivity and openness. The areas of integration and inclusiveness are also going to receive a boost with the two agreements put to work. Facilitating freer movement of vehicles with minimum restrictive barriers may also be interpreted as a regional-level contribution to the 'global village'.
Coming to the 4-nation sub-regional vehicles deal, it will be open to other SAARC countries as well. Primarily, it is regarded as an instrument for enhancing cross-border trade. The new deal throws ample focus on cargo-carriers. But at the same time, it keeps the provision for allowing smooth entry as well as exit of private motor transports from one country to another country. Thus vehicles passing through a neighbouring country to reach yet another may one day become a common sight in the area.  
 It is mainly due to their geographical proximity that the four countries pin much hope on the sub-regional motor vehicles agreement. As the arrangement earmarks designated routes, the cross-border vehicular movement will see remarkable cuts in cost and time. The issue of hassle-free customs clearance and other types of checking at borders should also be considered with utmost importance.
At the moment, regular passenger bus services operate between four SAARC countries. The route connecting Bangladesh with India (Paschimbanga and Tripura states) is one of them. Another route connecting Dhaka with Guahati (in India's Assam state) has had trial runs. Passenger buses operate between India and Pakistan (Delhi-Lahore), & India and Nepal (Delhi-Kathmandu). All these regional bus services have been enjoying popularity among the nationals of the four countries. The country that has been left out of the regional bus network is Bhutan, which will be a signatory to the 4-nation motor vehicle agreement.       
Since the launch of the South Asian forum in 1985, connectivity, coupled with smooth trade, has been making rounds among the regional leaders as a focal point. Unfortunately, it has yet to come off the ground. Against this backdrop, the sub-regional motor vehicles agreement is expected to go a long way in realising a major SAARC dream.
shihabskr@ymail.com