Drive against unfit vehicles to continue:Daily Sun

Commuters suffer terribly on Tuesday for public transport shortages in the capital because of the ongoing drive against unfit vehicles. Most of the vehicles are off the roads now. The snap was shot in Farmgate area. sun photo British national David had a perception that nothing would happen if law is not obeyed in Bangladesh. As a result he used to move from one end of the city to the other by a b
lack corolla private car. But he was caught on Tuesday noon when he reached in front of Engineers Institute. David could not show any licence. He was however, released after payment of a fine of Tk 500, which was realised under article 138 of motor vehicles ordinance 1983. On the second day of the drive across the country to reduce accidents on roads and highways, yesterday drivers without licence were fined this way and illegal vehicles were seized. In the capital yesterday in all 5 mobile courts, two of district administration and three of BRTA, worked. In total 131 cases were filed. This figure is five more than that of the previous day. It is learnt that the drive is going to be stepped up further. Meanwhile, with a view to stopping this drive like in the past transport owners and workers raising pleas under the banner of different organisations have started preparations to launch movement. In Sylhet and Rangpur they had already started strike. Preparations were also taken for strike at different places including Chittagong and Khulna. Besides, the owners and workers are exerting various pressures on the government to stop the drive. Tactfully most of the transports have been kept off the roads at different places including Gazipur and Narayanganj. But it is learnt that despite steep pressures, the government is firm on continuing the drive. Earlier, although announcement of such drive was made thrice, it was not launched. In 2010 plying of illegal vehicles were suspended after such drive was launched. Later, under pressure from the owners the drive was cancelled. At that time the communications minister was Syed Abul Hossain. After the tragic road accident at Natore on October 20 the present Road, Transport and Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader decided to launch the drive afresh. That day 36 people were killed in the accident. The minister himself visited the place of accident. Following the order of the minister after frequent road accidents BRTA started moving. Side by side, district and police administration also responded to the drive. According to BRTA data, there are 21 lakh drivers without licence in the country. They have been running about seven lakh vehicles. Besides, there are 3,25,000 vehicles without fitness. About 15,000 road accidents take place every year due to those drivers and vehicles. On average 4000 cases are lodged every year. Commenting on drives for road safety, the road transport minister said during drives at Manik Mia Avenue that people are sufferers due to the drives. But unfit vehicles cannot be allowed to cause deaths to passengers. The crisis for public transport has been increased in the capital since Monday after start of drive against illegal vehicles and drivers because plying of most of the illegal vehicles are closed. But the government is determined to keep the drive continue. For resolving commuters’ problem, government has added BRTC busses from yesterday for carrying passengers from morning till evening to different destinations. Ministry of road transport and bridge sources said that about 70 to 80 BRTC busses are plying to carry passengers from 10am to 4pm in the city. MAN Siddique, Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division told this correspondent, “We have taken the new initiative to resolve the public transport crisis in the capital. We started the trial on Monday. The next day on Tuesday those vehicles carried passengers of different important routes including Uttara and Motijheel.” Replying to a question, he said, “We started this drive for the interest of the people. The transport strike of Sylhet and north Bengal was called mistakenly. Later we managed them. They withdrew the strike. For this reason normal situation is prevailing in transport sector. This drive will be conducted successfully.” BRTA sources said, the drive will be continued till November 16 next. By no means it will be stopped. So we directed executive magistrate in this regard. Different district administration sources said, the drive is being strengthened. Tarik Hasan, executive magistrate of Dhaka District administration told this correspondent, on the first day I conducted the drive alone. The mobile court conducted the drive in front of Asa Tower at Shyamoli, in front of police box at Joarshara and besides Babu Bazar bridge point and collected fine worth Tk 1,35,700 yesterday. It has been learnt from the officials engaged with drives that the owners and drivers of the vehicles are now collecting documents of confiscating different type of papers of vehicles. The drivers of illegal vehicles are using different routes to avoid drives. So, the city witnessed traffic congestion at various spots. As drive was going on at Joarshahara, a good number of vehicles from various places including Motijheel, Farmgate stopped their journery towards Banani or Kakali. In addition, different organisations of the owners and drivers of banned Nasiman-Kariman and other risky vehicles had tried to call hartal in realising their various demands at various places. But the government will conduct this drive for the sake of public interests. Along with this drive, the publicity on road safety will go on. Visiting the spot during the drive, it was seen that three buses of Kanak Paribahan, Bashumati Paribahan and Bonosree Paribahan have been seized. Passengers came out from the buses and requested to set-free the buses. Later, they went to their destination boarding on other transports. They said that such types of drives should be conducted on regular basis. A passenger named Azad Rahman said that it is much better to board on fit a bus as accidents are common from unfit buses. Our staff correspondent adds: Thousands of city commuters, particularly office goers and students, suffered a lot due to scarcity of buses as the BRTA drive against unfit vehicles continued for the second day on Tuesday. Owners of a large number of public transports kept their vehicles off the city roads fearing action by BRTA mobile court drive, much to the sufferings of the city commuters. A small number of buses were seen plying different roads in the capital on due to the BRTA mobile court drives against unfit vehicles and unlicensed drivers. Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) launched the drive in the capital and elsewhere in the country on Monday to prevent frequent road accidents that claims lives of many people every year. Office goers and students were the worst suffers as they were seen struggling to get on a bus or a human hauler at different points in the morning and evening hours. The BRTA, Home Ministry and Road Transports and Bridges Ministry are jointly conducting the drive. BRTA enforcement department filed 2,249 cases, fined Tk 16,71,410 and jailed 21 offenders. It also sent 65 unfit cars to dumping ground in the last till Tuesday afternoon, said a source of BRTA. A mobile court led by BRTA executive magistrate Abul Bashar during a drive near Shewra Bus stop area filed 35 cases, collected Tk 26,200 in fine and dumped one vehicle. Executive magistrate Tarique of Dhaka district led a mobile court drive near Engineering Institute of Dhaka. The court filed 16 cases and fined offenders Tk 13,300. Another mobile court led by magistrate Sarowar conducted a drive in the city’s Jatrabari area. Executive magistrate Debashish Nag who led a drive in Babubazar Bridge area, filed 22 cases, collected Tk 29,600 in fine, seized papers of a vehicle and dumped two others. The BRTA mobile courts are checking route permits, driving licenses, motorcycle documents. The drive is checking whether riders have their helmets on. Illegal vehicles are in safe in Gazipur: Staff Correspondent and regional reporter said most of the vehicles are stopped in different terminals including Gazipur and Chandina as they have no legal documents. Some 90 per cent vehicles out of over 600 bus and mini-bus did not move in fear of mobile court in Savar-Nabinagar-Kaliakoir-Sayedabad of Dhaka and Gulistan routes while 75 percent of the vehicles have no legal papers. Kaliakoir Paribahan Sramik Union sources said only 20/30 vehicles out of total more than five hundred vehicles are running in the route from Kaliakoir to Nabinagar, Gazipur, Dhaka and Mawa. The passengers are suffering a lot and facing problem to reach their destination due to lack of vehicles on the roads. Gazipur bus, mini-bus Paribahan Sramik Union president Alhaj Sultan Sarkar said ‘the drive is undoubtedly good. The expiry-date of fitness of many vehicles already has crossed 2-3 months ago. The authority should have given a specific time to the owner of the vehicles for resolving the different problems including tax, token. Now the passengers and transport workers are suffering for keeping the vehicles stopped in fear of case’. Gazipur inter-district bus mini-bus Sarak Paribahan Sramik Uion general secretary ABM Nasir Uddin said ‘we hundred per cent support such a drive of the government. We do not want death of anyone for unfit vehicles.’ Gazipur Traffic Department senior assistant Police Super Md Sakhawat Hossain said cases were filed against 94 vehicles till noon getting no fitness, tax token, registration, route permit and license of drivers and this drive will continue. Our Narayanganj correspondent said the local transport owners have welcomed the drive. Some 500 vehicles run everyday from Narayanganj to Dhaka, Narsingdi, Chittagong road and Sonargaon routes. Most of the vehicles of Bandhan, Utshob, Ananda, Shitalkhya, Bondhu, Nasib and Duronto run yesterday changing the route. Ananda Paribahan chairman Moktar Hossain said drivers of their 20 vehicles have no license out of total 85 vehicles. He also welcomed the drive and said such drive should be conducted regularly.