Media report on Wednesday said more than five lakh registered vehicles are now on road without fitness clearance mainly due to poor monitoring by the authorities concerned amid the pandemic situation. Moreover, many unregistered vehicles are running without undergoing fitness test. Unlicensed drivers are at the wheel of at least 10 lakh registered vehicles. Yet another information suggest more than 10-20 lakh unregistered vehicles, including locally-made “Nasiman” and “Kariman”, are plying on roads and highways without fitness test.
We must say this is a deplorable situation to show that anarchy is reining the city streets added by unlicensed drivers behind the steering wheels. The actual number of licensed drivers may be less than the number of licenses issued because many people are holding more than one license – one for motorbike and another for heavy vehicles, said BRTA source. The chaos and indiscipline on roads and highways are manifolds causing fatalities almost on daily basis. At least 5,088 people were killed in 5,472 road accidents last year.
This is police’s figures based on the First Information Report (FIR) and General Dairy (GD), which is however much lower than those reported by road safety organisations. More than 50 lakh vehicles, including 35 lakh motorbikes, were registered with BRTA till last year. The fact is that motorcycles don’t need fitness clearance. Also, new cars, SUVs and microbuses are not required to have fitness certificates in the first five years.
BRTA data shows 5.08 lakh registered vehicles, which are eligible for fitness test, did not renew their documents till last month. The figure had never been so large previously. The number of unfit vehicles was 4.79 lakh in July 2019. BRTA’s 2020-21 annual report said 6.75 lakh vehicles received fitness certificates in the last fiscal year.
We are appalled by the huge number of vehicles running in city streets without fitness clearance and most of their drivers are operating without driving licenses. We wonder what the traffic police are doing and why the administration is allowing such lawlessness to continue. Report galore almost daily traffic accidents and fatalities and yet the vehicles involved in accidents return to the streets. Dilapidated vehicles are polluting the city air. Owners associations and transport workers federation are so powerful to defy the rule of law. But as a civilized society we can’t allow it to continue.
