In an apparent attempt to protect their monopoly on the streets, transport operators in the northern districts formed a syndicate that introduced new regulations to make sure that new vehicles stay off the road.
The syndicate working under the cover of “Bus-Minibus Owners’ Association” issued an edict that effectively prevented prospective entrepreneurs of 16 northern districts from purchasing new buses, thus maintaining their dominance over the transport business properly.
The edict which remains in force throughout northern Bangladesh except for Bogra categorically states that “Individuals willing to invest in the transport business can only operate new buses if no vehicles owned by the association members ply on the route.”
Members of the association are the only people allowed to operate their vehicles on any route and this has made the association membership even more appealing.
However, the aspirants often find it difficult to obtain the membership as according to the rules, the purchase of a bus that belongs to a member is the only way for others to become a member.
Businessman Shahjahan Babu of Rangpur who keeps close contact with Rangpur Motor Owners’ Association to purchase a vehicle from one of its members said: “I am waiting for the day when any of the association members would consider his vehicle too worn-out to ply and decide to sell that.”
Shahjahan said he intended to buy the ramshackle vehicle even if it would cost him a fortune because this would help him obtain the association membership.
The competition among the prospective entrepreneurs to get hold of run-down vehicles hiked up their prices manifold.
“The system of awarding membership to those who purchased association members’ vehicles has increased the demand for vehicles to such a level that prices of these vehicles and the brand-new ones are now almost the same,” Kurigram Motor Owners’ Association member Anup Biswas said.
The syndicate’s attempt to monopolise the vehicular operation plunged the transport sector in a state of anarchy.
Rusty and worn-out public buses that clog the streets due to the non-availability of new vehicles have become a source of perpetual agony for the commuters.
As the rundown buses take too much time to reach destination, passengers often times prefer to board long-distance buses to travel short distance, which also infuriates the owners’ syndicate.
Many commuters, talking to the Dhaka Tribune, alleged that the hired goons of the transport owners sometimes block different district routes of Nilfamari, Rangpur, Kurigram and Lalmonirhat, and raid long-distance buses. The goons drag the passengers out of the vehicles they have boarded to travel short-distances and force them to ride the local buses, they said.
North Bengal Transport Owners’ Association President Bebi Islam said the associations restrict others to operating their passenger vehicles only to prevent their overflow on the routes.
In reply to a question why 30-35 years old vehicles are still plying on the North Bengal routes, he said: It was because the government didn’t formulate any law banning their movement.
“Let the government frame a law in this regard and we will make sure that no such unfit vehicles ply across the district routes,” he said.
Rangpur Deputy Inspector General Iqbal Hasan said he didn’t receive any complaint that the owners’ associations barred others from operating vehicles on the streets.
“Imposing a ban on the mobility of others’ vehicles is illegal. If any bus owner has valid licence and
route permit, we would assist him so that he can operate his vehicle freely,” he said.