Transport strike withdrawn

Public transport owners have called off their 72-hour strike after the government assured them of initiating the process to address their “concerns and demands,” which include extending the lifespan of motor vehicles to 30 years.

Advocate Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, convener of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, announced the withdrawal of the protest, which was expected to start Tuesday across the country.

Earlier, he and other vehicle owners attended a meeting with Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan at the Bidyut Bhaban, where the adviser assured them of addressing their concerns.

Also present at the meeting were Dr Sheikh Moinuddin, chief adviser’s special assistant for the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry; Ehsanul Haque, senior secretary at the Bridges Division; and Saiful Alam, president of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association, among others.

Also Read: Nationwide transport strike on 12-15 August

On 27 July, Bangladesh Road Transport Owners and Workers Coordination Council gave the government until 11 August to meet their eight-point demand, and threatened to launch a 72-hour strike afterwards if the demands were not met.

Their particular concern is over the Sections 98, 105 and some proposed new sections of the Road Transport Act 2018, which they said were excessively punitive and unfair. Despite repeated calls for amendments, no progress has been made, prompting the strike decision.

Other demands included extending the economic lifespan of commercial vehicles to 30 years, withdrawing the proposed double advance income tax, increasing the import age limit of reconditioned commercial vehicles to 12 years, ensuring the release of seized vehicles within 72 hours of accidents, formulating a scrapping policy for expired vehicles, introducing separate lanes for three-wheelers on highways, speeding up the issuance of driving licences, and determining vehicle roadworthiness based on fitness and emissions tests rather than age.

Transport leaders argued that if the government is truly committed to reducing environmental pollution, fitness and emissions tests, not arbitrary age limits, should be the benchmark for allowing vehicles on the road.

They also called the proposed double advance income tax in the national budget unrealistic and discriminatory, especially for small and medium vehicle owners. Many vehicles are registered under banks or leasing companies, making it difficult for actual owners to adjust their taxes properly.

Transport leaders warned that if their demands were not met promptly, they will announce even stricter programmes in the coming days.