Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
The sub-standard (unfit) gas cylinders are being used in transports, mainly passenger buses, discriminately by violating the prevailing Act of machineries tools fatal cause of recent vehicle explosions.
Following the cylinder explosions, travelling by CNG-run buses and other vehicles has become risky said the sources of fire service, Police and transport workers.
According to sources of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), more than 2,50,000 CNG-run vehicles across the country. But 50,000 cylinders only have so far been tested.
The BRTA however, claimed that they were taking strict measures against the users of unfit cylinders. But they could not give any statistics regarding the punishment.
Retesting costs of a cylinder is from Tk 3,000 to Tk 3,500, while cost for installing a new cylinder ranges from Tk 50,000 to Tk 2.20 lakh depending on the size of cylinders and types of engine of the transport.
As per the government circular in 2002, gas cylinders must undergo fitness tests once every five years, according to them.
At least one person succumbed to his injuries after receiving a burn injury in bus cylinder gas blast in last seven months. The number of the injured men were reportedly 19, they said.
A moving bus of Midway Paribahan caught fire at Shahbagh intersection on Wednesday afternoon, said Md Russell Mia, Duty Officer of Fire Service & Civil Defence Headquarters. Atif Molla, 42, driver of the bus, sustained burn injuries in his hands and legs. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
Meanwhile, another bus caught fire on the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover in the capital on December 13.
Also a auto-rickshaw driver was burnt to death and two others sustained burn injuries in the Port city’s Sholoshahar area on July 24.
Afia Sultana alias Moni, an official of Janata Bank, in city said, “I know about the five-year validity of a cylinder. All passengers use CNG-run bus and other vehicles with high risk.”
Minhaj Uddin, a auto-rickshaw driver, said, “Our auto-rickshaw owner is not interested in changing the cylinder right now. I am driving the vehicle amid risk of life.”
Professor Sajal Chandra, Head of Mechanical Department of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), said “They used to certify three-wheeler CNG auto rickshaw after its field test and retesting of gas cylinders from authorized conversion centers.”
Shamsul Alam, Chief Inspector of the Department of Explosives, the licencing authority of the test centres, said more than 2.5 lakh vehicles were converted into CNG-run vehicles in last few years.
BRTA Chittagong Division’s Deputy Director (DD) Md Shahidullah said, “In the case of cylinder run vehicles, BRTA only provides the fitness certificate which is examined by authorized CNG conversion centre.”
“We were conducting mobile courts to check the issue”, he said adding that punitive measures were taken against those are floating the guideline.
Md Nurul Islam, Director (Engineering) of BRTA, said they issued fitness certificates of vehicles in line with the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1983 and Motor Vehicle Rule 1984.”
Nurul Amin, Zonal Manager of Intraco CNG Ltd, said: “Almost public transport including buses, human haulier and three-wheeler tempos rarely come to us for retesting.”
Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Additional Commissioner (traffic) Mafiz Uddin said, “We are assigned to check the issue however we could assist BRTA if they sought police cooperation.”
The sub-standard (unfit) gas cylinders are being used in transports, mainly passenger buses, discriminately by violating the prevailing Act of machineries tools fatal cause of recent vehicle explosions.
Following the cylinder explosions, travelling by CNG-run buses and other vehicles has become risky said the sources of fire service, Police and transport workers.
According to sources of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), more than 2,50,000 CNG-run vehicles across the country. But 50,000 cylinders only have so far been tested.
The BRTA however, claimed that they were taking strict measures against the users of unfit cylinders. But they could not give any statistics regarding the punishment.
Retesting costs of a cylinder is from Tk 3,000 to Tk 3,500, while cost for installing a new cylinder ranges from Tk 50,000 to Tk 2.20 lakh depending on the size of cylinders and types of engine of the transport.
As per the government circular in 2002, gas cylinders must undergo fitness tests once every five years, according to them.
At least one person succumbed to his injuries after receiving a burn injury in bus cylinder gas blast in last seven months. The number of the injured men were reportedly 19, they said.
A moving bus of Midway Paribahan caught fire at Shahbagh intersection on Wednesday afternoon, said Md Russell Mia, Duty Officer of Fire Service & Civil Defence Headquarters. Atif Molla, 42, driver of the bus, sustained burn injuries in his hands and legs. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
Meanwhile, another bus caught fire on the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover in the capital on December 13.
Also a auto-rickshaw driver was burnt to death and two others sustained burn injuries in the Port city’s Sholoshahar area on July 24.
Afia Sultana alias Moni, an official of Janata Bank, in city said, “I know about the five-year validity of a cylinder. All passengers use CNG-run bus and other vehicles with high risk.”
Minhaj Uddin, a auto-rickshaw driver, said, “Our auto-rickshaw owner is not interested in changing the cylinder right now. I am driving the vehicle amid risk of life.”
Professor Sajal Chandra, Head of Mechanical Department of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), said “They used to certify three-wheeler CNG auto rickshaw after its field test and retesting of gas cylinders from authorized conversion centers.”
Shamsul Alam, Chief Inspector of the Department of Explosives, the licencing authority of the test centres, said more than 2.5 lakh vehicles were converted into CNG-run vehicles in last few years.
BRTA Chittagong Division’s Deputy Director (DD) Md Shahidullah said, “In the case of cylinder run vehicles, BRTA only provides the fitness certificate which is examined by authorized CNG conversion centre.”
“We were conducting mobile courts to check the issue”, he said adding that punitive measures were taken against those are floating the guideline.
Md Nurul Islam, Director (Engineering) of BRTA, said they issued fitness certificates of vehicles in line with the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1983 and Motor Vehicle Rule 1984.”
Nurul Amin, Zonal Manager of Intraco CNG Ltd, said: “Almost public transport including buses, human haulier and three-wheeler tempos rarely come to us for retesting.”
Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Additional Commissioner (traffic) Mafiz Uddin said, “We are assigned to check the issue however we could assist BRTA if they sought police cooperation.”
