Bangladesh, India, Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement
Source : The Hindu
GS II : India and its neighbourhood- relations

What is discussed under Project Seabird Karwar ?

1. About the Order
2. How it helps

Why in News ?

With Bhutan continuing to sit out the Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) of the sub-regional Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) grouping, a meeting of the other three countries was held to discuss the next steps in operationalising the agreement for the free flow of good and people between them.

Key Facts

• About BBIN Project
  • It will help realise the full potential of trade and people to people connectivity between the BBIN countries by fostering greater sub-regional cooperation
  • The project was conceived after the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) failed to agree on a regional motor vehicles agreement at a summit in Nepal in 2014, mainly because of opposition from Pakistan.
  • The BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement for the Regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic between the 4 countries was signed during a transport ministers’ meeting in Thimpu on 15th June 2015.
  • Operationalising the MVA by concluding the Passenger and the Cargo Protocol will help realise the full potential of trade and people to people connectivity between the BBIN countries by fostering greater sub-regional cooperation.
• Funding
  • • World Bank South Asia programme for BBIN listed projects worth $750 million.

      

      • • For upgrading border checkposts and land ports in Bangladesh with a view to upgrading both physical and commercial infrastructure.
    • Asian Development Bank has supported the project as part of its South Asian Subregional Economic Cooperation programme.
      • • It has been requested to prioritise about 30 road projects worth billions of dollars.
• In 2017 Bhutan temporarily opted out of it as it unable to get parliamentary approval for the MVA.
  • Objections in Bhutan was over sustainability and environmental concerns.
• Concerns
  • • Still some agreements holding up the final protocols including issues like
      • Insurance and bank guarantee
      • Size and frequency of freight carriers into each country

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