Drive against faulty vehicles and drivers without licence has been going on in the city since Monday. sun photo The unholy nexus of vehicle owners, traffic police and BRTA is working behind the reckless devilry of unfit vehicles and license-less drivers in the capital. Spot investigation reveals this dark aspect of public transports in the capital. It is learnt from BRTA sources that in the city there are 93604 vehicles without fitness certificates. Again, about 4 lakh vehicles, despite having certificates, are unable to ply. Because it is possible to obtain certificates of ability for plying without showing the vehicles to BRTA officials if bribe is given. And this is what the vehicles owners are doing. None of these vehicles is sitting idle, the vehicles are plying the roads bribing the traffic police. Rows of public transports were seen on Thursday at Pallabi after crossing the Purabi Cinema Hall. Their windows are without glasses, they do no have colours, the number plates behind are also invisible. While looking for vehicles with colours, the eyes were fixed at a vehicle of Bihanga paribahan having parrot colour. The fault at the front-left tyre was being repaired. The driver M Kawsar along with someone else was engrossed in thought. Asked what has happened Kawsar said “The vehicle plies on the road from Mirpur to Sadarghat. We could have finished two trips from morning to noon. On arrival at Mirpur it was found that the brake was not working. The vehicle has been brought here slowly.” It was learnt that the 36-seat vehicle stops suddenly while on the run. Asked whether there is fitness certificate Kawser failed to show that. Browsing the papers kept at the vehicle it was found that a case has been filed on October 28 and fine has to be paid by November 15. Kawser himself is sceptical whether the vehicle has any fitness certificate. It was learnt further that 132 vehicles of Bihanga Paribahan ply on the Mirpur-Sadarghat route in the capital. Two persons named Firoza Begum (40) and Chan Buru (35) were killed on the spot when a bus of this paribahan rammed a CNG run auto-rickshaw in front of Rupashi Bangla hotel in Shahbagh of the capital. Except motorcycle, vehicles like bus, mini bus or private car have to be taken to BRTA office to get their fitness examined. It is learnt that the owners are plying 4,93,604 vehicles on the road paying bribe to police instead of paying income tax and fees to the government. Instead of paying money to the government exchequer, the owners are paying police bribe at the rate of Tk 500 to 2000 per vehicle. Outside this also the owners earmark allocation of ‘bribe’ for police. However, they do not admit this. At present this bribe is Tk 140 to 500 per vehicle per day. It is learnt from BRTA sources, a vehicle is considered fit if the production time design remains unchanged, brake and gear are alright, necessary light is there, black smoke does not emit, and colour is ok. According to motor vehicles act 30 kinds of technical and external tests are necessary for determining the fitness of a vehicle. But in BRTA this certificate is given after open eye inspection. At the BRTA office in Mirpur 700 to 800 vehicles are produced everyday for fitness test. There are only two mechanical assistants to conduct this examination. Prof Dr Sahamsul Haque of BUET told this correspondent that BRTA has failed to stand up yet as an independent establishment. At times different government tried to establish control over BRTA in different ways. Extortion business of police is going on taking the advantage of BRTA’s weakness. Rezaul Karim, a researcher of transport sector said the BRTA is run by different owners association under the political influence. The organisation’s officers remain busy most of the time to provide service to the ministers and bureaucrats. It has been learnt that the Bihanga Paribahan has some 22 owners. When asked, Nasiruddin Khokon, managing director of this transport company said, “A vehicle becomes unfit after running two or three months. We have sent our discoloured vehicles to the workshop.” Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation General Secretary Osman Ali told this correspondent that police are collecting extortion or bribe by using wrecker and creating panic of dumping though having fitness certificates and other papers of the vehicle. The traffic police and highway police create panic and collect money. So, drivers of unfit vehicles are being spared in the streets. And the money is spent from owners’ pocket. Though transport workers admit of giving extortion to police, transport owners deny it. Bangladesh Road Transport Association general secretary Enayetullah’s some 30 buses named ENA Parhibahan used to ply Mirpur to Motijheel route. He sold some 28 buses seven months ago after losing Tk 2 crore as he did not get profit. However, those vehicles are now running in the same route in the name of Hazi paribhan. Mentioning different problems including traffic jam, Enayetullah said it was not being possible to ply vehicles in the city. He said the owners of the vehicle would have been brought many new vehicles from abroad if government allows tax- free import facility like taxi cabs. Asked, why bribe is given to police, he said we want to get relief from police harassment. The owners and drivers are thronging to BRTA office to have licenses and fitness certificates of vehicles after starting the drive against unfit vehicles from Monday last in the city. On Thursday, a long queue of different vehicles was seen in front of the office. Md Bashir, a driver of a human hauler who came with his unfit vehicle (the front portion of the vehicle is damaged) said, “I came here at 10:00 am to check the fitness of my vehicle and I am to pay Tk 4600.” He said police are collecting Tk 130 from each vehicle as this type of 200 vehicles is staying near Mohammadpur Shia Mosque. In reply to a question, he said, “If we do not give them money then they (police) do not allow us to ply vehicles.” Seeking anonymity the owner of a vehicle said he has not been getting a route permit for the last four years. Getting opportunity, police are engaged in extortion. But the government can earn revenue from each vehicle if route permit is given. “If we do not provide tolls then we cannot ply our vehicles,” he added. Around 13 thousand CNG-run auto-rickshaws are plying in the capital. Some of them do not have fitness certificates and some of them do not have digital number plate. Driver Md. Shawpan was waiting in the queue with his vehicle (Dhaka Metro-Tha 13-4071) to get fitness certificate and his vehicle was damaged at different places. The owner knows how it was damaged, he said while asked about the condition of the vehicle. But the owner could not be contacted over phone. CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers said auto-rickshaws ply less in different areas including Muhammadpur, Shewrapara, Farmgate, Zigatola and Mirput. Traffic police take extortion from auto-rickshaw drivers showing different reasons. Auto-rickshaw owner Monir Hossain said that previously he had 10 vehicles but sold seven of them due to the difficulties caused by police. Total 85 vehicles of ETC Paribahan used to ply on Mirpur-Gulisthan route. But now only 50 vehicles are plying. Total 35 of them are out of order and 15 out of 50 buses do not have any fitness certificate. There are 30 owners of these buses. Supervisor Sunil Chandra Mitra Shawon said that few days ago he went to BRTA to obtain fitness certificate of a bus but could not do it as he did not give any bribe. Later he got the fitness certificate after the owner gave bribe of Tk 5000. Bus driver Md. Munna of ETC Paribahan said the fitness certificate of his bus (Dhaka Metro-JA 11-2108) is valid till October 28 of next year. His coworker Murad said police takes Tk 300 to 500 everyday at different places. It was found after talking to the transport researchers and drivers that fitness certificates are renewed despite having fitness related faults. Fitness certificates can be prepared for vehicles with fitness related faults and for vehicles with additional 10 to 15 seats in exchange for bribe of Tk 100 to 10 thousand and political influence. A vehicle can ply on the street without fitness certificate from BRTA by changing engine, body, body colour or by setting up a recondition engine. Traffic police are getting extortion from these types of vehicles. Drivers give money to the traffic police to escape from any case. Unfit vehicles ply on different routes including Dhaka-Narayanganj-Dhaka, Dhaka-Dhamrai-Dhaka and Dhaka-Tangi-Gazipur-Dhaka.
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