Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said driving license issuance will begin at the last week of current month (February).
“Printing of the draft of license has already begun. As per the agreement, the standard of cards (licenses) and its printing quality must be ensured,” he told a view-exchange meeting with officials of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) through videoconferencing from his official residence here.
Quader, also the General Secretary of ruling Awami League, said there will be no compromise with the quality of the cards, and the secretary of the ministry concerned and the BRTA chairman should monitor the process of the license issuance with special importance.
He said pace must be brought in issuing driving licenses by bringing cards from suppliers and end the waiting of license seekers.
Instructing the BRTA officials to enhance service quality of the government agency and use digital technology in its services to cut public sufferings, the road transport minister said the image of the BRTA is being tarnished due to only a few people involved in irregularities.
“You all (BRTA officials) must get out of the circle of irregularity,” he added.
Asking the BRTA authorities to strengthen surveillance of magistrates to catch brokers, Quader said the BRTA must be built as a service-oriented agency preventing rampant activities of brokers.
He asked the BRTA chairman to stop the circle of irregularities and presence of brokers with an iron hand, and to take steps against the BRTA officials involved in lobby trade.
Noting that the fitness of a vehicle is very important and that is why the issuance of fitness certificates is made easy and it is being issued from the BRTA’s circle offices, the minister said earlier the fitness certificates were given for one year, but now those are being issued for two years.
Service recipients can deposit their motor vehicle fees at more than 400 branches and booths of 18 bankers, he added.
About road accidents, Quader said the main aim of his ministry now to reduce road accidents and proper steps must be taken quickly to this end.
