PM for strict traffic management to check road crash

Risingbd Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the concerned authorities to ensure proper execution of the provision of five-hour driving time of the transport drivers on highways.

She also asked for keeping arrangement of alternative driver, rest room and service center in a specific distance on the highways to avert unwanted road accidents.

While discussing in the weekly meeting of the cabinet on the recent surge of road accidents across the country and loss of lives, the prime minister asked the concerned authorities to stop abrupt road crossing of the pedestrians and make the signaling system effective.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Md. Shafiul Alam said the cabinet at the very onset of the today’s meeting discussed the traffic management system.

He said the prime minister has given some specific directives to check road accident which includes giving training to the drivers and helpers, keeping provision of alternative driver for long distance journey.

The premier also asked for making zebra crossing mandatory for pedestrians to pass the road and fastening seat belt for drivers and passengers while traveling, directing three ministers to monitor the road transport management system.

Ministers for home, road transport and shipping will monitor the traffic management system and hold meetings time to time for overseeing the execution of the directives of the Prime Minister, the cabinet secretary said.

The cabinet also congratulated Bangladesh Women Cricket Team for securing champion in the 7th Asia Cup T-20 Cricket Tournament defeating India by three wickets in the final match held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on June 10, 2018 and bringing first ever such international honour for the country.

The cabinet in today’s meeting gave final approval to the draft of the ‘National Performance Development Authority Act, 2018’ aimed at development of the efficiency and ability of the workforce to accomplish any specific tasks of producing goods and services as per the standard of the local and foreign job markets.

The authority will prepare a national performance development strategy and policy to create efficient manpower for local and overseas markets, formulate curriculum and training manuals for public and private organisations and coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the manuals for their execution.

The authority will be constituted with an executive chairman and four members to be appointed by the government. The executive committee will be headed by the principal secretary to the Prime Minister’s office, the cabinet secretary said.

The authority will also have a high-powered governing body, led by the Prime Minister as chairperson, Finance Minister as vice-chairman and ministers or state ministers in charge of the ministries of industries, public administration, education, overseas employment, labour and employment as members.

The cabinet has given nod to the ‘Fertilizer Management (Amendment) Act, 2018’ with tougher provisions of punishment for producing, importing and trading of fertilizer without registration.

According to the new law, a 17-member National Fertilizer Standardisation Committee, head by agriculture secretary as chairman and a representative of the Industries Ministry as member, will look into the quality of fertilizer.

The new law suggested two years of imprisonment and fine of Taka five lakh or both for producing, importing, trading, carrying and storage of fertilizer without registration, which is now six months jail and Taka 30,000 fine._BSS


risingbd/Dhaka/Jun 25, 2018/Nasim