Sagar Biswas :Widespread corruption and massive irregularities thrive in the country’s Road Transport System, while the regulatory body Bangladesh Road Transport Authority [BRTA] has not taken any initiative to check the mismanagement.There is allegation that the BRTA authority has been patronizing the ill-practice, in view of which questions have been raised about the role of the regulatory body. Its chairman recently appointed some officials in several important departments apparently bypassing the guideline given by Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.In the latest official order signed by Director [Engineering] Md Nurul Islam [on behalf of Chairman] on March 20, gave appointment to Mohammd Babul as speed governor seal contractor, which triggered severe discontent among the employees and officials.The situation is also same in other departments also. A gang of brokers are openly controlling the activities of BRTA, from issuance of driving license to registration of new vehicles. General people who usually go there for different jobs have to face an obnoxious situation being pressurised by the brokers. Whereas, the Minister Obaidul Quader in a recent visit to BRTA had directed the concerned officials to free the organization from the grip of brokers. Chairman of BRTA Md Nazrul Islam, however, refrained from making any comment about the irregularities and controversial appointments despite repeated attempts last night. It is not the end. Officials of concerned agencies, including traffic department of police, have alleged that most of the country’s drivers have no proper training how to run vehicles during heavy rush or in adverse situation. Sources close to the traffic department said that about 61 per cent drivers got license without appearing in the driving test while bribe paid for driving license varied from Tk 100 to Tk 7,000 depending on the type of the license. Besides, 54 per cent drivers are running vehicles with their expired licenses while fifty per cent of driving licenses carried by drivers across the country are fake and prepared with irregularities, the sources said. “We issue licenses to those drivers who have passed the driving test. We also do not issue fitness certificate to unfit vehicles. The allegation of taking bribe for giving fitness certificate and driving license is false,” Zahangir Alam, Assistant Director of BRTA [License and Fitness], said. “A section of staff of BRTA are providing drivers with fake licenses. The government lost at least Tk 50 crore as revenue in the last eight years due to corruption at BRTA,” said a senior official of Road Transport and Bridges Ministry preferring anonymity. Sources said, a new vehicle owner has to pay up to Tk 50,000 as bribe during registration depending upon the type and value of the vehicle. In Dhaka Metropolitan Area, a bus owner has to pay bribe amounting to Tk 10,000 to Tk 300,000 as entry fee for each bus. The vehicle owners have to pay bribe up to Tk 20,000 to BRTA personnel and brokers to get route permit and transfer of vehicle ownership documents.”We have authority to cancel registration of vehicles, but in fact the number of cancelled vehicles is very few. Only 10/12 vehicles’ registrations were cancelled in last two years due to fault in import document,” Shamshul Kabir, Assistant Director of BRTA [Registration of bus, truck and covered van] said. “We usually give registration to brand new vehicles. We cancel Registration if the vehicles are unfit, or without any route permit,” Sanaul Hoque, Assistant Director, [registration of private car, micro bus and jeep] said. It is learnt that there is no workable audit system to check out how motor trade unions spend their collected subscriptions. Whereas, the illegal tolls are usually collected at entry points of district and divisional towns and the amount varying between Tk 10 and Tk 100 in case of a commercial vehicle, according to the sources.
