DESPITE the nationwide road safety movement, more than 4.58 lakh unfit vehicles are on the roads and 1.68 lakh of them operate alone in the capital city. Since unfit vehicles are considered as a key reason behind road crashes, the government failed to address the issue properly till the date. As the country has graduated from a least developed country to a developing country, we ask the government to take strict measures in maintaining the fit vehicle on roads for the sake of communication safety.
The HC observed that unfit vehicles are being driven by drivers without valid licences under the very nose of law enforcers. People are getting killed and injured on the roads and this cannot be allowed to go on. In this backdrop, the HC asked the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority to submit a detailed report with more information on the unfit vehicles, including their registration numbers and owners’ whereabouts, within a month. It also asked the BRTA to include particulars of drivers who do not have valid driving licences and furnish a report explaining steps the BRTA had taken against unfit vehicles and fake drivers.
Under the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1983, vehicles must undergo mandatory fitness checks every year. But the 71,218 vehicles in question did not do so since January 2009. At least 4,439 people were killed in 3,103 accidents last year for faulty vehicles, unskilled drivers, and dilapidated roads among many more. Each year, the social and financial loss of accident is huge, thus the BRTA and other authorities should work comprehensively to stop road accident in the country. We urge the authorities concerned to awaken their conscience to bring discipline in transport sector so that number of accidents to be reduced.
It is an open secret that some of the biggest problems of implementing any projects in Bangladesh are corruption, bureaucracy and inefficient state workforce. As transportation is a profitable business, the influential persons try to grip this road sector by any means. For that reason, the entire sector has been criminalised where ruffians rule the business. Moreover, getting patronisation from the related government departments, the transport mafias have become untouchable. This can’t continue for an uncertain period.
