Unfit vehicles to be withdrawn soon

The 40th meeting of the road transport advisory council has decided to evict illegal occupation from roads and highways through concerted efforts of related ministries next month (May) for ensuring safe traffic movement.
The meeting, however, refrained from taking immediate stern actions against illegal occupants and transports including freeing footpaths from vendors, withdrawing all unfit vehicles from the streets considering its impact on people and services.
Held at the conference room of the ministry of communications (MoC) Thursday, the meeting was chaired by Communications Minister Obaidul Quader. Road Secretary MAN Siddique and representatives of different agencies and transport and workers' associations were present.
The meeting reviewed the report submitted by the committee formed during the 39th council meeting to recommend steps to be taken for ensuring safety in roads and highways.
The meeting also formed a task force with the chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) as its chairman. Representatives of different ministries, police, highway police and transport and workers' associations will be among its 11 members.
While briefing journalists after the meeting, the communications minister said with the help of authorities concerned, a drive will be launched to make the roads free from illegal occupation. He, however, said freeing the footpaths would not be possible without giving alternatives to them.
The minister also said efforts will be taken so that unfit vehicles would not run on the streets adding that making the roads free from such vehicles would leave an impact on the traffic movement and increase commuters' sufferings in absence of new vehicles.
Obaidul Quader said he along with ministers of shipping, home and other ministries will also remain in the streets to make the illegal occupation drive a success. Representatives of transport owners and workers will also be there.
 "We hope to withdraw all vehicles plying without fitness in next six months. The task force will take necessary steps and we will cooperate with them," the minister added.
He also said the meeting decided to hand over the operating authority of the city's signalling system to Dhaka Metropolitan Police which was earlier run jointly by the MoC and DMP.