Brokers still prowling Mirpur BRTA office:Daily Sun

  Despite some so-called measures taken by the authorities concerned, disturbances by the brokers at Mirpur BRTA office continue causing sufferings to the service seekers. Brokers, usually disguised as employees of the BRTA, lurk in and around the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) office in the capital’s Mirpur-13 area to make quick bucks by deceiving people who visit the office for diffe
rent services. However, the illegal brokers have become a popular choice for many people to attain services from the BRTA by avoiding unnecessary hassles and lengthy procedures. The brokers also use different cunning ways to attract the service seekers. Sometimes the service seekers also hire the brokers due to avoid lengthy official procedures for getting things done. Some of them willingly pay some extra cash to the brokers to skip lengthy official procedures. While visiting the BRTA office in the capital’s Mirpur-13 area on Tuesday morning, the reporter saw a group of brokers trying to manage their customer. A broker ran towards the reporter and asked, “Sir, what do you need? Come to me I can get everything done.” In reply, the reporter said, “I don’t need your help. I came here to get a digital number plate.” The broker replied, “You will need a number-plate hanger worth Tk 150 and I will help you to get number plate without taking a serial token.” When the reporter got his turn, the BRTA staff attaching digital number plate, named Ebrahim said, “You will have to install a number plate hanger from the broker. Without this, I can’t attach the number plate.” The broker then install number plate hanger to the motorbike and took Tk 150 from him, and put Tk 100 on the Ebrahim’s pocket. Asked about this, the broker, who denied disclosing his name, said: “They have made the number plate hanger as per the direction of the BRTA men and they earn money by selling this number-plate hanger. A portion of the money goes to the pockets of the officials of the office.” He also said, “If you make any complain, we will have to leave this place for today, but we will come again.” Foyez Ahmed, a businessman, said, “I went to BRTA Mirpur office to get a digital number plate to my car at about 10:00pm and my scheduled appointment was at 11:10pm. A broker came to me and said he can get me the number plate without any appointment.” “When I agree with him, he took my car to the BRTA office without any serial queues and managed to attach the digital number plate in exchange of Tk 300,” he said. Some brokers flocking around the office said they usually get different sums of money from the service seekers by doing different types of works in collaboration with the BRTA officials. Haidar Ali, who owns a motorcycle, said: “I went to the BRTA for a driving license and a broker did all the things. I only filled up a learners form and provided an attested medical certificate.” The brokers usually take Tk 1,500 to 3,000 extra without government fees for motorcycle registration, Tk 6,000 to 7,000 including government fess for for a motorcycle-driving licence and Tk 10,000 or more for driving licence for cars and vehicles. They also have different rates, but denied disclosing those to the reporter as they realized that he was a reporter. Sanaul Haque, assistant director (Engineering) of Mirpur BRTA, denied the presence of brokers at his office and asked the reporter, “Did you visit the office recently?” In reply, the reporter said he visited the office Tuesday morning and saw brokers roaming around there. The BRTA official then said he will take action immediately drive out the brokers of his office.