A "Maloncho Paribahan" bus was travelling from Gulistan towards Mohammadpur in the capital city when part of its rear bumper detached near Paltan Mor.
Despite one end still hanging on, the bus continued its journey with the half-loose bumper swaying. It was only after passengers from behind alerted the driver that he pulled over, and, with the help of the bus assistant, tied the broken bumper with a GI wire before resuming the trip.
This is just one example.
Most city buses across major cities in the country, including the capital, are in a similarly decrepit state. In the rush to compete with other buses, body paint gets scraped off, and side mirrors break.
Yet, neither the drivers, owners, nor the authorities appear concerned.
Often, these dilapidated buses lack functioning indicator lights, and various parts, including the headlights, are tied together with ropes.
Broken windows and seats without covers are a common sight, yet the buses continue to run without any hesitation.
While such issues are visibly apparent, the authorities, including traffic police, appear indifferent, failing to enforce any laws.
Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change sent a letter to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), requesting the withdrawal of buses and minibuses older than 20 years, and trucks and covered vans older than 25 years, from the roads.
The letter also urged the introduction of mandatory emission tests during the renewal of fitness certificates for older diesel-operated vehicles.
The letter was sent last Sunday, but even after two days, Sheikh Mohammad Mahbub-e-Rabbani, the BRTA director of Road Safety, claimed to be unaware of the letter.
When asked about the ministry’s request, he remarked, "When was the letter sent? I haven’t seen it yet. However, the decision to stop renewing licenses for vehicles over 20 years old was made long ago, and we no longer renew them."
Despite the BRTA's stance on not renewing licenses for old vehicles, these buses continue to operate on the roads, often by "managing" various parties.
The absence of discipline in public transport results in dangerous competition between buses, leading to the loss of innocent lives. Even bus assistants are not spared from these chaotic conditions.
During the previous Awami League government, multiple initiatives were announced to address this issue, yet none were effectively implemented.
Although the High Court issued a ruling to remove these decrepit buses, minibuses, and trucks, they remain on the streets, seemingly protected by an unseen influence.
In October of last year, the BRTA reported that over 500,000 unfit and expired vehicles were operating across the country.
According to their data, 5,864,536 vehicles were registered nationwide, with 2,051,945 registered in Dhaka.
The former minister of Road Transport in the Awami League government, Obaidul Quader, initially set a deadline of 31 May this year for vehicle owners to remove unfit vehicles from the streets. This deadline was later extended to 30 June, but even with the extension, the unfit vehicles were not removed.
On 21 September, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mohammad Mainul Hasan, urged bus owners to stop picking up and dropping off passengers at random spots along Dhaka's roads.
During a meeting at DMP Headquarters, he also called for greater awareness and caution from drivers and bus workers, as well as more stringent monitoring and accountability.
Earlier, on 10 September, at a meeting on "Bringing Discipline to Public Transport" held at the DTCA office in Tejgaon, Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) Executive Director (Additional Secretary) Nilima Akhtar announced plans to implement bus route permits and introduce e-ticketing as part of efforts to bring order to the public transport system.
She also emphasised the importance of automating the public transport system and regularly consulting all stakeholders.
However, these official decisions have yet to bear any tangible results for the general public using public transport.
Over the past two months, traffic congestion and irregularities have worsened in Dhaka. While traffic police returned to the streets following the fall of the Awami League government, their role in controlling traffic has remained limited.
Abu Said, a passenger who boarded a "Shikor Paribahan" bus from Gulistan to Mirpur, described the conditions: “The bus is in such poor shape, it’s clear it shouldn’t be on the road. It’s unfit, but it’s still running right in front of the police, and no one is saying anything. They aren’t even issuing fines. As long as that’s the case, these buses will keep running. We have no other choice but to board, no matter how bad they are.”
Similarly, Samiul Haque, a student at Government Science College, who regularly commutes on the same route, noted the dangers of disembarking: "Getting on the bus is easy, they’ll stop wherever you raise your hand. But getting off is a different story. The bus speeds up, and it feels like they’ll throw you off. They also overload the buses to the point that passengers can’t reach the exit before the bus has already moved ahead."
When asked how they continue to drive unfit buses, a driver, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "Our owner gives us the bus, we drive it. The owner manages the fitness and the police. Over the past few days, no one has stopped us on the roads, so we’ve had no problems driving."
Kazi Zubayer Masud, the information secretary of the Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association, said that if the government compensates the owners, they would be willing to remove the buses from the streets.
Meanwhile, Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, general secretary of the Passenger Welfare Association, expressed his reservations, stating, "The letter from the Ministry of Environment is a good step, but the real test will be in its implementation. Since 2000, we’ve seen numerous government decisions like this, but none have been effectively enforced."
He also cautioned that before removing buses from the roads, alternative arrangements should be made to prevent further inconvenience for passengers. "If you remove a bus from the road, another one must take its place. Otherwise, the passengers will suffer."
