Govt determined to restore discipline to transport sector: Road transport minister

Road Transport Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam has said the government is determined to restore discipline in the country's transport sector "at any cost," while stressing that passenger awareness will be essential.

He made the remarks today (4 May) at a meeting with leaders of the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity at the Secretariat, where the organisation's Secretary General Mohammad Mozammel Haque Chowdhury demanded reforms in laws and regulations governing road, rail and water transport to ensure passenger representation, reduce travel sufferings and ensure road safety.

Leaders of the organisation said that for more than two decades, the Jatri Kalyan Samity had been representing passenger interests in various committees related to fare setting and passenger services under the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry, Railways Ministry and Shipping Ministry alongside transport owners' associations and workers' federations.

They alleged that under pressure from certain transport owners' and workers' leaders aligned with the previous fascist government, the authorities excluded the organisation and allowed the sector to be dominated by owner and worker groups, resulting in chaos, indiscipline, excessive fare collection, passenger harassment, road accidents and the rise of illegal vehicles.

They said ensuring the participation of passengers, the largest affected stakeholder group, is crucial to restoring discipline in the transport sector.

At the meeting, the organisation demanded ensuring representation of the Jatri Kalyan Samity alongside owners' associations and workers' federations in all forums related to fare setting, legal reforms, passenger services and transport safety.

The minister and state minister assured that the issues would be implemented gradually in the near future.