The Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (BJKS) has blamed the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority for passenger suffering and demanded the resignation of the BRTA chairman along with the organization's dissolution.
During a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Monday, the general secretary of the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, made the call.
He claimed that the BRTA, funded by public money, has revoked the regulation allowing legal action against CNG-run autorickshaw drivers charging excessive fares, thereby leaving helpless passengers at the mercy of fare-exploiting drivers. Consequently, he called for the dissolution of the BRTA.
Mozammel said the interim government has already taken a firm stance to bring order to Dhaka’s chaotic public transport, evict unfit buses, and introduce high-quality transport services.
"At a meeting on December 19, Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, directed the removal of buses older than 20 years from Dhaka by May. As a preparatory step, on February 25, all existing routes in Dhaka were abolished, and the operation of nine colour-coded bus services on nine routes was planned.
"Later, on February 4, leaders of the Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association announced that from February 6, buses under 21 transport companies in Dhaka would operate on a counter-based system. However, instead of introducing new, high-quality buses per Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan’s directive, some have misused the instruction by allowing 20- to 40-year-old unfit, expired buses to be repainted pink overnight and continue operating."
He continued: "The colour change of 2,610 buses was done without prior approval from the BRTA. Neither the BRTA nor the traffic department has any record of these buses. Moreover, any new public transport service in the city must receive approval from Dhaka Metro RTC, which was not followed in this case."
According to the Jatri Kalyan Samity’s observation, most of these buses and minibusses are unfit, filthy, and unhygienic, filled with dirt and garbage.
"Some lack rear lights, indicators, and side mirrors. The seating arrangement is cramped, some buses have broken footrests and handrails, and many are infested with cockroaches and bedbugs. Some seats are greasy and dirty, with no signs of cleanliness. Additionally, there are reports of overcharging passengers on certain routes."
Mozammel said: "Meanwhile, under the struggling e-ticketing system, bus fare is collected at counters, and the drivers and helpers receive a daily trip-based wage, while owners receive weekly or biweekly payments through transport associations. This has led to mistrust among bus owners regarding the proper accounting of their earnings.
"At the same time, reduced wages for drivers and helpers have caused intense dissatisfaction, leading some small bus owners and drivers to suspend their services.
"Due to these mismanagement issues, violations of fare regulations, and the worsening public transport crisis, passengers across the city are facing severe hardships."
However, there has been no intervention from BRTA, the traffic department, or the Ministry of Road Transport to resolve the issue, Mozammel said.
"The Jatri Kalyan Samity has reached out to various authorities but has received no response. In this situation, the association has demanded the removal of these outdated, unfit, and dilapidated buses and the introduction of a company-based corridor system through a public-private partnership in Dhaka and Chittagong."
The Jatri Kalyan Samity also called for deploying 5,000 high-quality buses under a route rationalization system instead of the current owner-based transport operation.
