New driving licence soon

The traffic authorities are planning to introduce modern driving licences to identify offences made by a driver and go for action, including cancellation of licenses, accordingly, a senior official of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said.
‘We have asked the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority to introduce highly-secured driving licenses, which could be perforated for violation of traffic rules,’ said DMP commissioner Naim Ahmed.
After certain number of violations, the license would become invalid and seized by the authorities, he said.
However, the number of chances a driver will be given before being barred from driving is yet to be decided, he said adding that the system exists in many modern cities of the world.
When asked to comment on alleged unscrupulous acts by some traffic sergeants, who allow traffic offenders go in exchange of bribes, the DMP commissioner said, ‘We would show zero tolerance to them. The DMP will oversee whether the officials are performing their duties properly.’
The top brass of the metropolitan police said the new system would be introduced very soon.
Asked what steps the authorities are taking to contain the traffic congestion in the capital, the DMP commissioner said that the Regional Transport Committee to streamline the traffic had decided to bring down the number of bus routes to 60 from more than 100 at present. Some 20 of the allowed routes would be city circular services, he added.
‘In the last month’s meeting of the Dhaka Metropolitan Regional Transport Committee, we also fixed the number of bus stoppages for the city. From now on, no bus would be allowed to stop or park haphazardly,’ Ahmed said.
Haphazard parking of buses close to busy intersections, driving through wrong routes and violating the traffic rules often create tailback and also cause accidents in the city.
Bus stoppages at Farmgate, Banglamotor, Shahbagh, Paltan, Gulistan, Dainik Bangla crossing, Motijheel, Ittefaq crossing, Kakrail crossing, Malibagh, Mouchak, Moghbazar and a few other points are within two to three yards from the intersections.
Picking and dropping passengers at these intersections keep these busy roads always congested.
Although stopping at some points like the Bangla Motor and Karwan Bazar is prohibited, buses are often seen picking up and dropping passengers.
Witnesses said most of the town service busses coming towards Gulistan, start moving slowly between Farmgate and the Sonargaon intersection leaving very little space for other vehicles to move faster.
Passengers are also to be blamed at times as they try to get into the busses at the intersections without going to the place specified taking or dropping, a traffic police said.
‘We pick the passengers from the intersections as they keep waiting there. We would not get sufficient passengers if we do not pick them from the intersections,’ a bus contractor, Suman, said.
However, the traffic department has a provision to fine the drivers Tk 250 for stopping too close to intersections.