Govt to set up rest rooms for drivers along highways, Quader tells JS

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SANGSAD BHABAN, June 12, 2019 (BSS) – Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul
Quader today told the Jatiya Sangsad that the government has taken initiatives to set up rest
rooms for long-route drivers and parking stations on four key highways of the country.

“The rest rooms and parking stations will be built at Nimsar area in Cumilla alongside the Dhaka-
Chattogram Highways, at Jagadishpur area in Habiganj alongside the Dhaka-Sylhet Highways, at
Pachila area in Sirajganj alongside Dhaka-Rangpur Highways and Laxmikanda area in Magura
alongside the Dhaka-Khulna Highways,” he said.

The minister was replying a starred question made by Jatiya Party lawmaker Md Mujibul Haque
at the House here on the government initiatives to reduce road accidents.

Quader also said as a part of creating 100,000 skilled drivers by five years, training of 8,000
drivers will be completed by this month and training of more 36,000 drivers will be completed by
2022 under the Skills for Employment and Investment Project (SEIP).

Besides, a Detailed Project Profile (DPP) has been prepared for approval of a separate project for
creating 300,000 drivers for heavy vehicles by the next five years, the minister added.

On the other hand, plying of three-wheelers and other non-mechanized vehicles was banned on
22 national highways, he said.

Responding to a supplementary question made by treasury bench lawmaker Saifuzzaman
Shikhor, Quader said, “We are going to make a policy for the small vehicles like easy-bike,
Nasiman and Kariman”.

He also said the small vehicles were largely responsible for accidental deaths on the highways
during the Eid-ul-Fitr.

The minister sought cooperation from all, including drivers and pedestrians, to reduce road
accidents.