Staff Correspondent:

There are around 75,000 unfit buses and trucks in the country, but the concerned authorities have failed to remove those from the roads despite a prior announcement.

These vehicles that have reached the end of their economic lifespan are a major cause of accidents and traffic jams on the roads and highways. Furthermore, these rickety, rundown vehicles also play a significant role in environmental pollution in the country.

After taking charge of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Advisor Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan took the initiative to remove these expired vehicles from the roads.

He announced that vehicle owners would be given six months to remove expired vehicles. After the period, these vehicles would no longer be allowed to operate on the roads.

The six-month grace period given to owners ended in April. Nearly another month has passed since then, yet these expired vehicles continue to operate freely on the roads.

Although the road transport advisor has claimed that some expired vehicles have already been dumped, he also stated that since Eid is approaching, taking action against these vehicles now would cause public inconvenience. Therefore, measures will be taken after Eid.

In May 2023, the previous government issued a notification fixing the economic lifespan of passenger buses at 20 years and freight vehicles at 25 years. However, under pressure from transport owners, the notification was suspended three months later.

According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the country’s top regulatory body in the road transport sector, there are 10,556 buses and minibuses over 20 years old in Dhaka Metropolitan and Dhaka district.

Additionally, there are 18,205 such buses and minibuses across the country. In terms of freight vehicles (trucks, covered vans, tank lorries), there are 14,683 over 25 years old in Dhaka Metropolitan and Dhaka district and another 31,798 across the rest of the country.

In total, the number of expired buses and trucks in the country exceeds 75,000.

After the interim government took office, a meeting titled “Removal of Old Motor Vehicles to Control Air Pollution in Dhaka City” was held at the Power Division on 24 October last year.

During the meeting, buses over 20 years old and trucks (or similar vehicles) over 25 years old were classified as outdated.

After the meeting, Environment Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan said, “We held the meeting with a commitment. All stakeholders were present. In the meeting, we decided to give six months to remove old vehicles from the roads. We would explore whether vehicle owners could get loans from the government to purchase new buses, whether the government would procure electric vehicles under its existing electric vehicle policy, and whether there is an opportunity to convert the current buses into electric ones. The six months were given to review these issues and make decisions accordingly.”

That period ended in April of the current year, however, no significant initiative has yet been taken to remove expired vehicles from the roads.

When asked about the matter, Road Transport and Bridges Advisor Fauzul Kabir Khan said, “We want to observe the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha period. At present, we are conducting limited operations against old vehicles. A large-scale operation will begin after Eid celebration. During the Eid, ensuring smooth travel for people is a first priority for us.”

“We have already removed many vehicles. Many vehicles have been sent for dumping. However, these actions were carried out against the fitness and other related issues. We are preparing to launch a major operation to remove old vehicles from the streets after Eid.”