Bike Maintenance Tips

• Regularly check tyre condition and air pressure. Optimum air pressure in the tyres of the bike is important for maximum road grip, stability, riding comfort and longevity of the tyres.
• While under-inflated tyres wear unevenly, adversely affect handling, and more likely to fail from being overheated, over inflated tyres make the motorcycle ride more harshly, and more prone to damage from surface hazards, and wear unevenly.
• Check your tyres for cuts and scrapes on your tires, which could cause a blowout. Also check the tyre treads once a week and have the wheels balanced and the alignment checked if the wear is uneven.
• Engine oil plays an important role in ensuring smooth operation and maintenance of the bike and maintaining a correct engine oil level is important. Check engine oil level each day before operating the two–wheeler. Oil level should be between upper and lower marks. Top up engine oil if required. Check for oil leakage.
• Clean the two-wheeler body surface regularly to maintain the surface finish. Before cleaning the motorcycle, ensure that the ignition switch unit, H.T. Coil and silencer are covered using plastic sheets.
• Clean the motorcycle using low-pressure water. All painted surfaces should be washed only with water, as kerosene or detergent will damage the paint.
• The motorcycle battery needs periodical maintenance to ensure a long and trouble free life. Check the electrolyte level against the top and bottom markings on the battery shell. Always top up with distilled water whenever required.
• Check for any leakage from battery. It should be clean and free from any leakages. In case of non-use of motorcycle, battery should be kept fully charged and electrolyte level should be at Top mark.
• Clean spark plug regularly. Every 750 km for two-stroke bike and every 1,500 km for four-stroke bike. Clean spark points (electrodes) with emery paper.
• Keep carburettor clean. Every 1500 km, clean out the carburettor float chamber and other parts. Clean jets by forcing compressed air through them.
• Keep both brakes properly spaced. Keeping them too tight (too urgent), or too loose (too late) is dangerous. Brakes should be tightened as per the rider’s personal style and requirement.
• Check cables regularly for kinks, bends and frayed ends. Especially check ends. If one or more strands appear broken, replace immediately.
• Always ensure that the tax is paid and Insurance cover (Insurance policy) is within validity period. Keep Tax Receipt and Insurance policy at home and keep xerox copy in bike.

Exporters want delay in launching container management software

Garment exporters yesterday urged the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to further delay the launch of container terminal management software as the country's weak transport system will need some more time to be ready for such an upgrade.

They said, once the system is launched, they will have to ensure loading of goods 72 hours before departure of ships from the port.

But, now the garment exporters have to load goods even minutes before departure of the ships, due to delay in transporting goods for severe traffic jam, the exporters said.

Also, production is delayed often due to inadequate supply of gas and power, they said at a meeting on the introduction of Container Terminal Management System (CTMS) at Chittagong Port for efficient cargo handling.

“We want the CPA to delay the implementation of the CTMS by one year so that we can prepare ourselves for it with the improvement of roads and river transportation system,” said Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), at the meeting at BGMEA auditorium in Dhaka.

He also urged the government to upgrade the Dhaka-Chittagong highway to four lanes from the existing two.

The government should also introduce the Pangaon and Khanpur river ports in Narayanganj to help the exporters send goods through river routes, Mohiuddin said.

CPA Chairman Commodore M Anwarul Islam said the trial-run of the CTMS software was scheduled for last month to bring global standards in the operations of the port.

But, the launch was deferred on request of the garment exporters. “We have a plan to introduce the CTMS on October 9 on a trial basis for three months,” he said.

The implementation of the CTMS is an obligation for the CPA as per the rules of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Islam said.

He said the implementation of the CTMS will ensure proper planning of berth application, vessel, yard and equipment, stripping, rail module, gate control and billing.

The CTMS also promises easy tracking of containers in real time and execution of plans, he said.

The port handled around 1.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) containers in fiscal 2010-11, up from 1.21 million TEUs containers in 2009-10, he said.

AKM Salim Osman, president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, and AK Azad, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, also spoke.

The government installed the CTMS at $5.7 million financed by Asian Development Bank and the CPA itself.

HOW TO TIE ???

Advising bank

An advising bank (also known as a notifying bank) advises a beneficiary (exporter) that a letter of credit (L/C) opened by an issuing bank for an applicant (importer) is available. Advising Bank's responsibility is to authenticate the letter of credit issued by the issuer to avoid fraud. The advising bank is not necessarily responsible for the payment of the credit which it advises the beneficiary of.
The advising bank is usually located in the beneficiary's country. It can be (1) a branch office of the issuing bank or a correspondent bank, or (2) a bank appointed by the beneficiary. Important point is the beneficiary has to be comfortable with the advising bank.
In case (1), the issuing bank most often sends the L/C through its branch office or correspondent bank to avoid fraud. The branch office or the correspondent bank maintains specimen signature(s) on file where it may counter-check the signature(s) on the L/C, and it has a coding system (a secret test key) to distinguish a genuine L/C from a fraudulent one (authentication) .
In case (2), the beneficiary can request the applicant to specify his/her bank (the beneficiary's bank) as the advising bank in an L/C application. In many countries, this is beneficial to the beneficiary, who may avail the reduced bank charges and fees because of special relationships with the bank. Under normal circumstances, advising charges is standard and minimal. In addition, it is more convenient to deal with the beneficiary's own bank over a bank with which the beneficiary does not maintain an account.