The Cabinet on Monday approved in principle the draft of the 'Road Transport Bill, 2017' with provisions of harsher punishments, including 6 months’ jail or Tk 50,000 fine or both for driving any vehicle without having any driving licence.

The approval came from the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the original law was promulgated as ‘The Motor Vehicle Ordinance, 1983’ and following the earlier Cabinet decision of turning all the ordinances into laws as per the directives of the Higher Court, the Road Transport and Highways Division brought the draft law to the Cabinet.

The punishment for driving any vehicle without valid driving license is maximum 6 months’ jail or Tk 50,000 fine or both while the punishment for driving any vehicle with fake licence is even harsher which is maximum 2 years jail or Tk 3,00,000 fine or both, he said.

The Cabinet Secretary said for using any cell-phone while driving a vehicle the punishment will be maximum one month’s jail or Tk 5,000 fine.

As per the proposed law, he said, the punishment for reckless or harsh driving, engaging in race and thus committing any accident will be maximum 3 years’ jail or Tk 25 lakh fine or both.

New provisions have been incorporated in the proposed law under which the drivers will have to have certificates of class VIII while the conductors’ certificates of class V to become drivers and helpers respectively, said Shafiul Alam.

Under the section 57 of the proposed law, he said if it is cognizable offence where the punishment is maximum 6 months’ jail or Tk 50,000 fine or both, then police can arrest the accused without any warrant.

The proposed law also kept a new provision for having license by the conductors and in default, the punishment will be maximum one month’s jail or Tk 25,000 fine or both.

The Cabinet Secretary said the punishment for driving vehicle without fitness certificate will be maximum one year’s jail or Tk one lakh fine or both.

In the case of any accident causing deaths, Alam said the penal code will be applicable. If the offence is culpable homicide, then the Section 302 of the penal code will be applicable.

If the offence is culpable homicide but not amounting to murder, then Section 304 of the penal code will be applicable and that is life-term imprisonment, he added.

The Cabinet Secretary said if any vehicle exceeds the excel or the weight limit, then both the vehicle owner and the driver concerned would have to suffer maximum three years jail or pay Tk 3 lakh fine or both.

Shafiul Alam also said a new provision of cutting ‘point’ from the driving licence for violating the rules of the law has been incorporated following various laws on driving licence of different countries.

Ministers, state ministers and secretaries concerned were present at the meeting.