TDS Desk:

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has sent a letter to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), requesting the removal of buses and minibuses older than 20 years, and trucks and covered vans older than 25 years from the roads.

Additionally, the ministry has urged the BRTA to make emission testing mandatory when issuing fitness certificates for old diesel-powered buses and trucks in Dhaka, read a press release on Sunday.

Under the leadership of the ministry’s adviser, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, several initiatives have been undertaken to curb environmental pollution.

As part of these efforts, the BRTA has been requested to take steps to remove vehicles that have exceeded their economic life and to ensure mandatory emission testing for old diesel vehicles during their fitness checks, read the release.

In line with the decisions made in the first and second meetings of the National Committee on Air Pollution Control, the BRTA will take appropriate measures over the issues, it added.