The worn-out and out of fitness buses plying on the streets of Dhaka are creating problems on the roads, risking the smooth moving of the commuters as well. For example, the buses of Nur-e-Makkah Pariban move on from the Dhaka Zoo road to Kuril via Malibagh, are mostly worn out and short of fitness. The bumper of the buses are seen to be fall from the main bodies, the body of the metal buses are also got rust and the glasses and some part of the bodies are also broken. The directional lights are also seemed to be fused.
The same kind of buses is visible across the city, plying on the roads freely. Even, the inner condition of the buses is not different. The windows got stuck and don’t work, the seats are old and worn out, even the bugs are seen wandering fearlessly on them.
Day after day, these kinds of buses are plying on the city streets and Bangladesh Road transport Authority (BRTA) continues to give permission to these types of buses. These buses are not only dangerous, but also damaging the beauty of the city.
In this regard, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told reporters on Thursday, "There are many factories making these kinds of vehicles in Dhaka city. I saw it myself. They paint the vehicles, but these colors do not last even 10 days. How modern are private cars in Dhaka city? But the buses are too poor to look at. Even, the buses and cars plying in the district towns and Chattogram are better than that. These worn out vehicles of Dhaka put our development achievements to shame.”
Bus owners are taking this opportunity as there is no government policy regarding it. Even two decades ago BRTA used to determine specific colors for public transport according to the route in the capital Dhaka. According to the rules of the organization, a bus will be rendered unfit for plying if its paint is discolored. The BRTA circular was not re-issued later. At present, most of the buses plying on the 291 routes of the capital are running in worn-out condition.
In the last three days, such a scene has been seen on the roads in Gulistan, Mirpur, Badda, Shyamoli and Gabtali routes of the capital. The same is the case with local service, seating service and even ticket service vehicles. Asim Paribahan runs on Gabtali to Demra Staff Quarters route. While picking up the passengers at the technical intersection, it is seen that the glass of the bus window is breaking open, rear indicator lamp cage and steel body were hanging from the main body. All text, colors including stoppages sign have been removed. The young driver of the bus, Suman said, “This bus seems to be older than my age. We’ve to go back and forth, hit another bus. In a hurry, the color is erased out, the glass is broken. Many parts are exposed despite the rust. The owner never sends these cars for servicing; rather he rushes us out every day and charged us.”
Boishakhi Paribahan operates on the new market route from Savar, Shyamoli via Gulshan Link Road. Jobair Mahmud came to Shyamoli from Savar as he do a service on that area. He said, "The condition of every bus is bad. Windows, doors are broken. All of a sudden the dust comes and makes the clothes dirty. Some of the seats recline, most of the seats don't have foam. Passengers have to sit on hard iron sheets. Many times the iron of the broken seat sticks to the legs, cuts the legs and tears the clothes. And it is not possible to describe the external appearance. No bus has color. A skeleton-like engine came out of the bark, the steel sheet.”
Sirajul Islam, a passenger next to him, said, "There is such a chaotic state of urban transport, but no solution. In front of the eyes of all organizations, these buses are running around the capital.”
Victor Classic Transport operates on Abdullahpur, Newbazar, Paltan, Saradghat routes. The helper is keeping the car in the middle of the road and transferring the passengers. Bus drivers of this company do the same across the roads. Other cars can't go by keeping the car in the middle, causing terrible traffic jam.
Farhad Hossain travels regularly from Khilkhet to Paltan in this car as he has a shop in Paltan. He said, “Most of the buses are discolored, patched at different places. The inside of the bus is dirty; cockroaches have nested in the seats. They are dropping passengers in the middle of the road by slowing down the car without stopping.”
In this regard, Professor of Civil Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering (BUET) Shamsul Haq said, "The worn-out buses were not possible to be removed from the capital's roads. As a result, discipline hasn’t returned to public transport. Strong political action was necessary for this. The problem is compounded by its scarcity. There is a big negligence of the police to restore order in the transport sector. There is local politics, there are owners and workers issues. Some people are taking people as hostages. When you get down on the road, you can see that some buses have no headlights, no indicators, and no looking glass. But day after day these buses are running on the road in front of everyone's eyes. Covered with pollution at the bottom of the habitable city! But no one has any accountability.”
(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on March 22 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque Khan)
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