Jaywalkers not spared
A mobile court of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) yesterday shifted its focus on jaywalkers, as drives against traffic rule violators went on in Dhaka and Chittagong.
Nine BRTA mobile courts conducted drives against errant vehicles, drivers and pedestrians in the two cities, filing 305 cases and realising Tk 4.38 lakh in fines. Of them, one in the capital conducted drives exclusively against jaywalking in Farmgate area.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Besides, the courts handed down different jail terms to two drivers and eight brokers. They also seized documents of 24 vehicles and dumped 15 more, said a press release.
The mobile court in Farmgate led by Executive Magistrate Sarah Sadia Taznin fined 77 people Tk 50 each for crossing the busy Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue violating traffic rules, although there are four foot over-bridges nearby.
The court also released 22 students and underage pedestrians upon taking bonds to not repeat the offence, Sarah Sadia told The Daily Star.
The six other mobile courts conducted drives at BRTA offices and surrounding areas at Uttara, Mirpur and Ekuria and Jatrabari, Shah Ali and Mohakhali areas in Dhaka. Two courts conducted drives in Chittagong.
The mobile courts of BRTA ramped up its drives in Dhaka and Chittagong following the unprecedented student agitations for safe road after the death of two college students in the capital on July 29.
The BRTA is responsible for issuing driving licences, vehicle registration, route permits, fitness clearance and enforcing traffic rules by conducting mobile courts.
It has 13 posts of executive magistrates to run mobile courts in Dhaka and Chittagong, but most of the posts have remained vacant for years, officials said. After the movement, the government posted eight more executive magistrates to BRTA offices to conduct mobile courts, they said.
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