BBIN transport pact to be signed today in Thimphu

East SAARC bloc

From a Correspondent

New Delhi, June 14: The much-hyped BBIN Motor Vehicle Act will be signed in Thimphu on Monday. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has reached the Bhutanese capital today to sign the pact.

The India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement will facilitate transportation of both people and goods among the four SAARC member countries.

India's cabinet on Wednesday had approved the signing of the pact, which was a long pending issue of these four countries.

Interestingly, the SAARC Motor Vehicle Agreement was approved during SAARC summit in Kathmandu in November 2014. However, it could not be signed due to reservations by Pakistan.

The SAARC declaration at Kathmandu summit also encouraged member states to initiate regiol and sub-regiol measures to enhance connectivity.

Accordingly, it was considered appropriate that a sub-regiol Motor Vehicle Agreement among BBIN may be pursued, officials said.

Subsequently, a meeting of Secretaries of Transport of BBIN countries was organised by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in Delhi in February to discuss and filize the text of the draft BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement, which is similar to SAARC MVA Draft barring some minor changes.

The signing of BBIN agreement would promote safe, economical, efficient and environmentally sound road transport in the sub-region and help each country in creating an institutiol mechanism for regiol integration.

According to the agreements, each country will bear its own costs arising from implementation of agreement.

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