Less experienced drivers to drive heavies

The government yesterday extended the relaxation of the requirement to obtain driving licences to operate heavy vehicles by one more year to June 2021, following the demand of transport leaders.

Road Transport and Bridges Ministry issued a circular in this regard yesterday. Bangladesh Road Transport Authority had sent the proposal to the ministry on June 4 for approval, officials said.

Under the original rules, a driver had to have three years' experience with a light-vehicle licence to apply for a licence to drive medium-sized vehicles, and only after three more years of holding the latter licence could the driver apply for a heavy-vehicle licence, which includes for buses and trucks.

The minimum requirement of six years to graduate from light to heavy vehicles has in less than two years shrunk to three years, with the intermediary step of driving the medium-sized vehicle removed in February this year, to remain in effect till June. It is this relaxation that has been extended till June 2021.

"On Thursday, we sent the proposal to extend the deadline," Lokman Hossain Mollah, director (engineering) of BRTA said.

Replying to a question, he said, "Yes, transport owners and workers have demanded an extension."

Relaxing the experience requirement for licences for heavy vehicles was one of the major demands of transport workers when they enforced strikes in some districts in November last year, protesting the implementation of the Road Transport Act-2018.

Transport leaders said most of the bus and truck drivers were already driving vehicles with light or medium-sized vehicle driving licence.

In face of the demand of transport owners and workers' leaders, the government had in August 2018 relaxed the experience requirement for getting heavy and medium-sized vehicle driving licences. The relaxation of requirements in 2018 saw light-vehicle licence-holders needing just a year's extension to apply for medium-sized vehicle licences. Medium-size vehicle licence-holders, in turn, having already had a minimum of three years' experience driving light vehicles under the original rules, would be able to apply for a heavy vehicle after a years' more experience.

The government on several occasions extended the tenure of the relaxed requirements for up to six months. As per the latest extension order issued on November 27 last year, drivers could avail this opportunity until June this year.

In February, the government relaxed the rule further saying that it took the decision to make up for the shortage of licensed medium and heavy vehicle drivers and to keep the services of passenger and goods-laden vehicles normal.

Osman Ali, general secretary of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Federation, alleged that BRTA could not issue licences in the last year due to a shortage of materials such as smart cards, so the shortage of drivers remained the same.

"If the government does not extend the deadline, then drivers would face harassment by law enforcers. So we demanded the extension of the deadline," he told this newspaper.

In Bangladesh, a person becomes a bus or truck driver after working in vehicles as helper and so they gain experience of driving a heavy vehicle, claimed Osman. So, a driver should be given licence if he can pass the practical test, he added.

"GIVING LICENCE TO KILL"

Asked about the decision, prominent transport expert Prof Shamsul Hoque said: "This decision was a result of pressure; it is not a fact-based decision. They did not take the decision considering its impact.

"When the procedure followed to issue licences in our country is not up to the mark, such decisions will increase the risk of accidents. It's actually a licence to kill," he told The Daily Star yesterday.

Driving without a proper licence is an old problem, but despite much time having elapsed with this problem, the system has not changed and thus road accidents, anarchy in transport sector and congestion has only intensified.