![Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokan is seen talking to a bus driver in the city's Gulistan area during the mobile court drive against unfit vehicles that started on Sunday [left]. A dilapidated bus is getting facelift at a Jatrabari workshop](https://newnation.io/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1488729015_6.jpg)
Staff Reporter :
The Dhaka South City Corporation [DSCC] on Sunday started drive against the over 20- year-old unfit vehicles and drivers without valid license.
With the cooperation of Dhaka District Administration and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority [BRTA], the DSCC launched the drive in the city at around 11.15 am which continued till 4:00 pm.
A mobile court, in presence of DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon, started the drive from Bangabandhu Avenue. As per plan, three mobile courts took position in three city points to catch the drivers without legal documents and bring them to book.
“The drives against the drivers without legal documents, under-aged drivers, unfit vehicles and over 20 years old vehicles will continue for 15 days. We’ve decided to continue the drive,” DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon said.
Sayeed Khokan also said: “Many unfit and dilapidated buses in the city are posing life risk to the commuters. For the said reason, the DSCC has taken decision to conduct drive… If necessary, the time of drive will be extended. We’ll also free the roads from illegal parking defying all obstacles. ”
Officials said, the mobile courts awarded imprisonment to seven drivers conducting drives at Bangabandhu Avenue, Dainik Bangla and Motijheel areas. Of them, two drivers named Shafiqul Islam and Babul Hossain were given 15 days jail term by the mobile court headed by DSCC Magistrate Mamun Sardar.
Besides, five other drivers — Kamal, Jewel, Shukkur, Sultan and Khalil — were awarded one month jail each by the mobile court headed by BRTA Executive Magistrate Md Abdus Salam.
The drivers were punished mainly for not having driving license, taking excessive passengers and for not displaying fare chart. The DSCC authorities said that the drive will continue apparently to reduce traffic jam and passengers’ sufferings.
About the result of drive, DSCC Magistrate Mamun Sardar said: “Two buses and five legunas were seized during the day-long drive. A total of 75 cases were filed and drivers were fined Tk 87, 400.”
Although the DSCC Mayor blamed unfit vehicles and illegal parking for the major reason of traffic jam, the environmentalists and experts cautioned that the air quality database has already placed Dhaka at the bottom position among the most polluted cities in the world.
Currently, there are no permissible limits recommended for superfine and ultrafine particles in the capital and other parts of the country. But these particles are so small that they remain suspended in the air posing health hazards to people. According to experts, the unfit vehicles plying on city roads, along with an average 10 per cent increase in the number of vehicles every year is one of the major reasons behind the pollution.
Due to huge demand for public transport, the unauthorized and unfit vehicles are multiplying in the course of time. The authorities concerned have conducted drives against unauthorized and unfit vehicles several times earlier. But it could not flush them out.
At present, motor vehicle inspectors [MVI] of BRTA check physical condition of the vehicle and issue the fitness certificates. But they have not enough apparatus to check the level of air pollution in the air.
