Dhaka: Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Chairman Abu Momtaz Saad Uddin Ahmed today announced that no one will be issued a driving license without completing a mandatory 60 hours of training.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the chairman made this announcement at the inaugural ceremony of a driving training programme for master instructors at the Alampur BRTC Bus Depot and Training Centre. He emphasized that this initiative is part of the government's efforts to ensure that driving licenses meet international standards. The training activities have commenced nationwide following directives from the Road Transport and Bridges Adviser.
Highlighting the issue of road accidents, the chairman noted that motorcycles are involved in approximately 73 percent of all road accidents in the country. He urged everyone to use quality, BRTA-approved helmets to enhance road safety.
Addressing concerns over delays in issuing smart cards for licenses, Ahmed acknowledged the issue but assured that e-licenses have been issued on time according to regulations. He emphasized that these e-licenses are valid for all government and legal purposes and mentioned that BRTA had issued a notice instructing government institutions and police departments to accept them.
He further explained that the delay in smart card distribution was due to the expiration of a contract with a company in Madras, India, which was responsible for printing the cards. The contract, which expired in July, was not renewed because the company failed to meet the contractual terms.
BRTA Director (Operations) Meer Ahemed Tariqul Omar informed BSS that training for master instructors has begun nationwide. "The BRTA aims to train 150 master instructors across the country, who will subsequently train individuals to obtain driving licenses," he stated.