The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) yesterday conducted a drive against over 20 -25-year old buses and trucks, declared unfit to ply the city roads.
The first day’s drive netted only four buses, seized by the mobile courts, which also slapped fines and realised Tk 1 lakh 94 thousand and 200, filing 236 cases under the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1983.
The drive, supported by the Dhaka district administration with 15 mobile courts, each headed by an executive magistrate was aimed at improving the city’s traffic situation, reducing accidents and pollution..
But the drive sent the city’s aging fleets of rickety buses off the roads, producing long ques at bus stoppages and compelling commuters to jostle for a place to stand on their feet in the crowded buses.
It also helped the drivers of auto-rickshaws, taxis and rickshaw peddlers reap a windfall profit charging higher fare than usual making it difficult for many, faring them including school children and their mothers to take a long walk to their destinations.
After the drive, the seized buses were sent to the dumping ground at Kanchpur.
The BRTA also conducted a separate mobile court with it’s own magistrate at the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
During the drive, people are seen in long queue as they faced severe transport crisis, said traffic sergeant Nowsher Ahmed while discharging his duties near Jatiya Sangshad.
Additional District Magistrate of Dhaka Amitav Sarker, who supervised 15 mobile courts said, ‘‘We shall continue the ongoing drives until the situation improves to considerable level.”
Explaining the reasons behind lesser number of buses on the streets, Sarker said that being afraid of the drive, the owners of unfit vehicles did not bring their vehicles out of their garages.
BRTA chairman Ayubur Rahman Khan told the Independent “ We will evaluate the progress and try to find out a solution to remedy the plight of the passenger’s during the drive.
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