Bonik Barta graph Minibuses are one of the most used vehicles when it comes to
daily commuting. In particular, this type of vehicles with a maximum capacity of
seating 31 passengers are most popular in urban areas as well as for short
journey. There are 28,332 minibuses in the country. Of them, 19,646 minibuses
are 20-year-old or more. This figure represents 70.42 percent of all registered
minibuses. According to standard set by Bangladesh Road Transport Authority
(BRTA), these minibuses have expired as their economic life has come to an end.
A large chunk of the expired minibuses ply the roads in Dhaka city.
BRTA has so far registered 10,158 minibuses to run in the capital city. Of
these, the economic life of 6,478 minibuses has already elapsed. The residents
of the capitals use these old dilapidated buses daily taking risks.
BRTA has also fixed economic life of commercial vehicles like buses
(32 seats or more), trucks, covered vans and tankers. The economic life of
buses and minibuses is 20 years while trucks, covered vans and tankers have 25
years.
According to BRTA information, there are 289,612 registered
buses, trucks, covered vans and tankers in the country. Of them, economic life
of 73,057 vehicles is already over. That means more than 25 percent of the
registered buses, trucks, covered vans and tankers have expired.
Transportation experts say that accidents take place all the
time as the vehicles lack fitness. Traffic congestion is created due to stalled
vehicles on the roads. These vehicles also contribute to more environment
pollution.
Former Director of Accident Research Institute at the
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Professor Dr Md Hadiuzzaman
told Bonik Barta finds economic life very important for every vehicle. “After
the expiry of economic life, every vehicle needs extensive repairing. In
Bangladesh, owners do not think so. As a result, vehicles become more risky.
These vehicles are posing dangerous threat to environment, increasing accidents
and causing traffic congestion and chaos,” he told Bonik Barta.
The BUET professor also said, “The current scenario is the
outcome of blanket concession in the renewal of fitness certificates. In 2010,
BRTA took an initiative to cancel the registration of the unfit vehicles.
Later, the government organization shifted its position and provided the
opportunity to renew the fitness certificate with a fine. Afterward, BRTA gave
the same chance even without a fine and it is still going on.”
“Due to unknown reasons, BRTA keeps on giving concession on
the fitness of the commercial vehicles, allowing expired automobiles on the
roads. I believe there is no alternative to scrapping the vehicles soon after
the expiry of economic life. As a regulatory body, BRTA will have to take a firm
position,” he said.
In May, 2010, BRTA fixed the economic life of buses, trucks,
covered vans and tankers through a circular. Though mentioned immediate
enforcement in the circular, the organization could not implement it. On the
contrary, the circular was withdrawn in the month of August of the same year.
It was alleged that BRTA backtracked owing to the pressure of transport owners.
However, BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder denied such
allegations. “We have already prepared a list of 73,000 buses and trucks that
are past their economic life. We have shared the list with Road Transport and
Bridges Ministry, Bangladesh Police, transport owners and other partners.
Necessary steps are being taken in this regard,” he told Bonik Barta.
“We
know how many vehicles have been registered since the independence. However, we
do not know how many of them are off the road. We have taken an initiative to
ascertain the actual number of expired vehicles. If this can be done, it will be
easy to take legal measures against expired vehicles,” the BRTA chairman added.
