‘Transport owners will not take responsibility of accidents committed by drivers’

Transport owners will not be responsible if any causality occurs in road accidents.  They also do not want to take the responsibility of the accidents committed by drivers and helpers. 

The Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association came up with the announcement at a press conference at its office in the capital on Saturday.  

Moreover, a huge amount of fine will hinder the development of transport sector, they said. 

"The owners have to check licenses before appointing drivers," said Khandaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of the transport association. 

He further said, "If drivers do not get bail as per the Road Transport Act, 2018, which came into effect on Friday, it causes manpower shortage in the transport sector."

"Currently, the transport sector has a shortage of around eight lakh drivers," Enayet Ullah said. 

On the other hand, transport workers blamed the owners to appoint unskilled drivers and to run unfit vehicles on the roads. 

However, they urged all to enhance awareness to implement the new law.  

More than a year after it was passed into a law, the Road Transport Act, 2018 officially came into effect across Bangladesh on Friday.