S M Mizanur Rahman :Passengers’ sufferings are being mounted gradually in the city due to mismanagement, misconduct and violation of traffic rules by the transport workers.Because of this sorry state in transport sector, passengers and transport workers have almost happened regular altercations over cheating in the name of seating service, charging extra fare, reckless driving and indiscriminately stopping of buses for taking passengers. Sometimes, the passengers are seen quite helpless. It is now a regular phenomenon in almost every route in the city. Even the altercations between the passengers and the workers take a serious turn into clash. “None of the successive governments have ever taken any steps in this regard. The transport sector is a potential source of income through extortion by the owners’ and workers’ unions, it always backed by the ruling party elements,” an official of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), preferring not to be named, told The New Nation on Friday.The official added BRTA, the regulatory body to ensure discipline in the road transport sector, has failed to control the city’s public transport due to political influence and lack of manpower.Around five lakh vehicles ply on the city roads and streets everyday. Among them, around 1.5 lakh vehicles are plying the roads without taking fitness certificates, said another BRTA official.BRTA secretary Muhammad Showkat Ali said the BRTA, traffic police and city corporations are legally responsible for taking actions against errant drivers and unfit vehicles. “We are continuing to conduct special drives against vehicles without fitness and drivers without license because of poor manpower. As the city corporations and traffic department of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) are responsible for traffic control, they will also have to come forward,” he said. “A decision has also been taken to conduct special drive to stop passengers’ harassment,” Muhammad Showkat, also director operation (additional charge) of BRTA said. When contacted, a deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Traffic Police said they have noting to do to make the city street hassle and jam free and also to free the commuters from transport workers’ harassment.”Our all officials and constables are working round the clock to ensure smooth traffic system in the city. But if the rush of vehicles increases everyday it would be difficult for us to ensure discipline on the road,” he said “It is the bribery that ultimately dictates the deal for unfit and unregistered vehicles and unlicensed drivers,” another BRTA official said.”With the changeover of political power each time, ruling party men take over the extortion cartel assuming the tag of ‘owners’ and ‘workers’ unions,” the official said.According to sources, the sector insiders estimate that different unions collect at least Tk 2.5 crore illegally from the transport operators everyday in Dhaka metropolitan area alone.Although it happens in broad daylight, the transaction has no records, the source added.
