Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has set May 31 as the deadline for the transport owners to collect their fitness certificates afresh for their all kinds of unfit vehicles plying roads and highways across the country.
“If any motorised vehicle is found plying roads and highways without fitness certificate after the deadline, tougher legal actions will be taken,” said BRTA chairman Nazrul Islam.
He said, mobile courts are being operated against vehicles plying roads even after the expiry of their age-limit. Besides, those
vehicles already declared unfit for movement are also seen plying the streets taking risk of accidents.
The BRTA chairman alleged that most owners are yet to repair their unfit vehicles although they were given adequate time in the past to do so.
About the vehicles in dilapidated condition, the BRTA boss said the fitness certificates of faded vehicles operating on the city streets will not be renewed further unless those get a facelift.
Sources at the Communications Ministry said two committees were formed at a meeting held on March 16 with Communications Minister Obaidul Quader in the chair to take effective measures against the vehicles in bad shape.
One of the committees comprising eight members with the BRTA chairman as its head was asked to take probable steps against the discoloured and unfit vehicles.
Meanwhile, the committee has already submitted its recommendations to the Communications Secretary and the Minister.
The remaining seven-member committee, led by a senior secretary, was asked to find out ways for implementing traffic signal system.
According to sources at the ministry, the recommendations made by the first committee are: Carrying out mobile courts, drive against all motorised vehicles violating traffic rules by BRTA officials and police, continuing the ongoing drives, taking action against the covered-van owners who extended the bodies of their vehicles illegally and stringent action against unfit and worn-out vehicles after the month of May.
The sources mentioned that the covered-van owners had earlier given six months’ time to remove illegally-extended body parts of their vehicles.
