Cabinet allows lesser-strict traffic law, in contrast the spirit of student movement 2018

The government has taken a route to the Road Transport Act by decreasing the penalties, both in the imprisonment term and financial punishments on responsible individuals for breaching different laws..

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the proposal at the PMO in a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

"In 12 sections of the Road Transport (Amendment) Act, 2024, the punishment for crimes has been reduced. The amount of fine has been reduced under eight sections,” Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain informed the press about the decision.

“Three offenses under the act were non-bailable earlier. Following the amendment, one section of the offense has been made non-bailable while others have been made bailable,” he added.

Only death casualties will be regarded as a non-bailable offense in the newly proposed law, he said.  

Mr. Hossain explaining the changes to various sections of the law under Section 69, stated that providing false information regarding a driving license, would be lessened to two years imprisonment and a Tk3 lakh fine from previously two years imprisonment and a Tk5 lakh fine.

The fine for driving a vehicle with expired license will be reduced to three months imprisonment and a Tk15,000 fine from currently a three-month jail term and a Tk25,000 fine, under a three-month jail term and a Tk25,000 fine.

For driving without a license the amendment also imposed a one-month jail term and a Tk5,000 fine for  both the driver and supervisor.

Sections 84, 98, and 105 will be bailable in the amended law. The proposal made all the sections bailable except Section 105. Violation of technical instructions of a motor vehicle, previously non-bailable, is now proposed to be bailable.

A clause has been added in the proposed act regarding the motor vehicle insurance, Mr. Hossain confirmed. "A fine of Tk 3000 will be imposed, if a motor vehicle is found without insurance," he added.

The government legislates the law after extensive student protests on road safety in 2018. In contrast,  the drivers and transport owners and workers have been demanding for amendments since its emergence.