The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) had taken no apparent steps to repair or renovate more than 300 buses laying idle in various depots in the capital as it seems to be more occupied in procuring new buses on loans.
Sources at the state-run agency said BRTC has already purchased some 958 buses, at an expense of Tk700 crores, and plans to purchase more buses in the coming years.
However, the BRTC authorities had not taken any measures to repair more than 300 buses, which were purchased at a cheap rate from Sweden, China and India years ago. These vehicles now lay idle at different depots in the capital, although a decision was taken last year to repair these run-down buses in phases.
The sources also informed that BRTC has sent a proposal to the Planning Commission to purchase more 200 double-decker buses and 100 articulated buses at an expenditure of Tk200 crores.
According to BRTC data, during the tenure Awami League government in 2010, BRTC had imported 275 single-decker buses from China using a loan provided by the Nordic Development Fund (NFD).
Later in 2011, some 100 air-conditioned and 155 non-AC buses were imported from Korea on a Korean government loan. In 2012 BRTC added 290 double-decker buses on an Indian government loan and in 2013, 50 articulated and 88 single-decker buses joined the BRTC service.
Out of these buses, the government donated 22 buses to different educational institutions. Of the remaining 936 buses, almost 600 buses were plying in different routes in and around Dhaka, and rests have been stationed in different BRTC depots in Mirpur, Kallayanpur, Motijheel, Joarshahara and Gazipur.
This correspondent yesterday visited several BRTC depots and found that these old buses had better body fitness and internal conditions than most privately-run city bus service buses plying in the city.
Sources said these buses have been kept out of service as they need major repairs which were reportedly very costly.
Highly expensive Volvo buses, which were introduced by BRTC in the capital in 2002, have almost disappeared from the city streets for an inexplicable flaw in maintenance of the vehicles by the authorities. A total of 50 double-decker Volvo buses have gone out of order and are left abandoned now.
The Volvo buses gained popularity among the city commuters because they were comfortable to cummute in.
When contacted at around 5pm yesterday, BRTC Chairman Jashim Uddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune: “As it is already time for Iftar, I cannot say anything new. If you need any information, you can come to my office next time.”
This correspondent repeatedly tried to contact BRTC Chairman Jashim Uddin and BRTC Director (Technical) Colonel Md Abdullahel Karim over the phone, but both of them did not received the calls.
Earlier, Jashim Uddin said many of leased buses under different educational institutions and public had broken down and is in bad shape, reasoning BRTC has decided to purchase the buses.
However, he has not said anything about the decision over the dumped vehicles.
