BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement: Impact

BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement: Impact

Question: Cabinet has recently approved the signing of the BBIN(Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) Motor Vehicle Agreement for the Regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic amongst BBIN. Discuss the impact of this agreement.

• The BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement for Regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic will be signed at the BBIN Transport Minister’s meeting in Thimpu, Bhutan.

• BBIN agreement will have the following impact:

• Safe, economically efficient road transport in the sub region

- Environmentally sound road transport

- Creation of institutional mechanism for regional integration

- Mutual cross border movement of goods and passengers contributing to overall economic development of the region

- Seamless movement of goods and passengers across borders will benefit the 4 nations

- Financial independence for implementation of the agreement

- The pact will allow permit passengers and cargo movement in 4 SAARC nations without the need to change vehicles at the border. Each other’s vehicles will also enter their territory under specific terms and conditions to be fixed bilaterally and trilaterally.

Facts and Stats

• SAARC MVA in November 2014 at the 18th SAARC summit could not be signed

• Reservations from Pakistan stopped this regional and sub regional measure to enhance connectivity

• Sub regional MVA between BBIN is a further pursuance of the goal of connectivity

• This umbrella agreement is under the model of the SAARC MVA