A total of 87,795 unfit motor vehicles are plying on the city roads of Dhaka in violation of set laws and posing threat to commuters’ safety, besides contributing to traffic congestion and environmental hazards.
The transport authorities’ negligence and irresponsibility are attributed to the rise in the number of derelict vehicles.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) entrusted with the task of providing registration and fitness certificate to motor vehicles runs drive occassionally against the expired vehicles.
According to BRTA, the registration authority, there are around 8,00,000 registered vehicles in Dhaka city.
Of the vehicles, 87,795 are unfit. Of them, 59,243 are registered under Dhaka Metro North circle and 28,552 under Dhaka Metro South.
According to BRTA officials, two-wheeler motor bikes are yet to come under mandatory rules to have fitness certificates for them to ply on city roads.
Besides, auto-rickshaws, cars, buses, trucks and other motor vehicles would mandatorily require fitness certificates from the BRTA.
The city dwellers expressed concern about travelling by such unfit public transport because of hazardous journey.
Jakir Hossain, a resident of East Rajabazar, who regularly commutes by human haulers from Farmgate to New Market, said: “The human hauler drivers charge Tk12 from per passenger for traveling almost two and a half Kilometres from IBA hostel to Dhaka College.” It was an unfair travelling charge, he added.
Most human haulers were worn-out, but their owners charged passengers as much fare as that by the
air-conditioned buses, observed the commuter.
Jahanara Begum, a resident of Mohammadpur area, said: “I go to Farmgate from Mohammadpur on a local bus, the condition of which is very derelict, but its charge goes the same as that by the direct bus services.”
“I have been observing poor transportation services since long,
but there had been no development,” she added.
The correspondent found that a large number of public motor vehicles ran with faulty brakes and broken back lights.
Under the very nose of law enforcers and BRTA authority, the vehicles ply across the city roads, emitting black smoke only to pollute the atmosphere.
An official of BRTA, seeking anonymity, told Dhaka the Tribune the unfit transport owners got the upper hand over the authorities concerned because of political clout.
Communications Minister Obaidul Quader said they would run drive against unfit vehicles in the capital from May 1.
The announcement came on Saturday at his visit to mobile court operation by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority in front of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the city.
The minister also fined 13 vehicles for not having legal documents and fitness certificates and sent another four to dumping station as those were plying across the city after expiration of their validity.
A driver was also sent to jail for not having any legal documents including driving licence.
Contacted, Md Matiar Rahman, director (enforcement) of BRTA, said: “Drive against unfit vehicles in the city is a continuous process, and it will continue since now.”