Editorial
Short-cut to driving license
Stop the unlawful dispensation
One cannot but be surprised at a news appearing in a leading Bangla daily on Sunday that the Communication Ministry is under pressure from the Shipping Minister to issue professional driver's license to as many 27,000 applicants bypassing the normal procedure of granting license to heavy duty vehicle drivers.
This causes consternation for several reasons.
Firstly, one is at a loss to rationalise the role of the Shipping Minister in this regard. How does he come in the loop and how does it devolve on him to recommend granting of license in the first place? And secondly, how does he, as a minister, let alone as a responsible citizen, recommend circumvention of existing system of issuing license. It cannot be lost upon him that acquiring truck license is a long process that one needs to graduate through.
It goes without saying that the shipping minister is using his clout as the chairman of the Roads Transport Workers' Federation. But for him to recommend, and for the communication minister to say that he is looking into ways and means to see how the request can be met, by finding a way around the system, is a cruel joke.
We hope that the ministers are aware of the large number deaths in road accidents, most of which are caused by rash driving, and reportedly, most of these drivers are raw and untrained with very little experience behind the wheels.
For a very long time issuing of license has been a business, and the shipping minister has sort of acknowledged that selling license has been a business for the federation too. And the BRTA for its part has been also indulging in this. We would hope that for the sake of public safety such unlawful dispensation would be avoided.
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