Dhaka: Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday urged the Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, also a giant transport sector leader, to keep unfit vehicles out of roads during Eid rushes.

Following a meeting with Shipping Ministry representatives at the Secretariat in Dhaka on Tuesday, the minister said, ‘We have tried to ensure the roads would not cause traffic jam. The narrow roads have already been widened.’

‘We have conducted technical experiments and identified the problems. Now you should ensure that transport owners and workers will keep unfit vehicles out of the roads.’

Several decisions were made at the meeting, said the minister. CNG-filling stations will also remain open round the clock from 22 September to 30 September ahead of the Eid; trucks and covered vans except those carrying cattle, perishable items and medicines, will not be allowed on the highways before and after three days of Eid; and no three-wheelers will be allowed on the highways.

The minister also announced that the sale of tickets for special buses of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) will begin on Wednesday.

BRTC will operate 1,043 buses across the ahead of the Eid, he added.

The minister, however, did not give details but just smiled responding to a question why he had referred to the shipping minister while talking about unfit vehicles. 

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan is now the president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation and his family has nationwide transport business.