Trial run for passenger vehicles among 4 countries in Oct

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said that trial run for passenger transportation among four SAARC countries under the Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) will start on fixed six routes in October. He announced this at a press briefing on the Proposed Protocols to BBIN MVA at the ministry on Monday. Besides, Cross Border Cargo pilot/trial run will be conducted on cargo routes of the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) countries on a small scale primarily in October-November to reach a consensus over Cargo Vehicle Protocol within a short time, he said. On the basis of the experience of pilot run, the next meeting for finalising the Draft Cargo Protocol will be held in Shiliguri town in India’s West Bengal state in December, 2014, Quader mentioned. The six passenger transportation routes are – (I) Kolkata (India)- Petrapole/Benapole-Jessore-Dhaka-Chittagong, (II) Chittagong-Dhaka-Hatikumrul-Bogra-Rangpur-Burimari/Chenagrabandha (India)- Shiliguri (India), (III) Dhaka-Hatikumrul-Bogra-Rangpur-Burimari/Chenagrabandha (India)-Jaigaon (India)/ Pluentsholing (Bhutan)- Thimpu (Bhutan), (IV) Dhaka-Hatikumrul-Bogra-Rangpur-Banglabandha/Phulbari (India)-Panitanki (India)/ Kakarvita (Nepal) Kathmandu (Nepal). (V) Kolkata-Dhaka-Sarail-Sylhet-Tamabil/Dawki (India)-Shillong- Guwahati (India)- Samdrup Jhonkar (Bhutan), (VI) Khulna-Jessore-Benapole/Petrapole (India)-Kolkata (India).
He also said officials concerned (of Joint Secretary Level) of the four countries gathered at a meeting in Dhaka on September 8-9 to finalise the deal and proposal. A 15-member delegation of Bangladesh attended the meeting. “Working Draft Protocol for Movement of Passenger and Personal vehicles under BBIN MVA was prepared at the meeting. The four countries will finalise the recommendations of draft protocol on September 23, 2015. The internal procedure will be completed by October,” said Obaidul Quader. The minister also said the four countries (BBIN) will take initiatives for signing the Protocol for Movement of Passengers and Personal Vehicle under BBIN MVA by December. “Besides, a motor rally involving the four countries will be held on November-14 to December 1 this year that will start from Bhubaneswar of India and end in Kolkata via Akhaura, Dhaka and Benapole,” the minister added. A initiative will also be taken to make visa facilities under BBIN MVA countries easier while officials concerned of (of Joint Secretary level) of the four countries will gather at a meeting on October 06-08. On August 24, the Cabinet ratified the 'Motor Vehicles Agreement for the Regulation of Passenger, Personal, and Cargo Vehicular Traffic with Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal' (BBIN), aiming to boost road connectivity in the region. This framework agreement was signed during the Transport Ministers meeting of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal on June 15 in Bhutan, according to UNB.
- biplab