Tk 100-7,000 for a licence, Tk 100-500 for passing test, reveals TIB study on BRTA graft; minister pledges reform committee
Staff Correspondent
Sixty-one percent drivers have got driving licences from Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) without sitting for the required test while 54 percent of them drive vehicles on roads in the country with expired licences.
A report of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) also reveals that a person has to bribe BRTA officials concerned Tk 100 to Tk 7,000 to get a driving licence and Tk 100-500 for passing a driving test. Drivers also use fake medical certificates to get licences.
Taking into cognisance the huge politicisation and corruption in the country’s road transport sector, Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain yesterday pledged to form a powerful committee within a week to root out the irregularities and modernise the sector.
“I endorse the findings of the report, which is objective and appropriate. We shall form a high-powered committee in a week to bring reforms to the sector and make it service-oriented,” the minister said at a programme at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday where the TIB report was presented.
He also said the government would introduce online banking system for stakeholders to pay BRTA fees in six months, amend the relevant laws and take a comprehensive plan to modernise the transport sector.
The report titled “Role of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and other stakeholders in Bangladesh’s road transport system: problems and ways out” highlights rampant corruption and indiscipline in road transport management and among motor vehicle owners, trade unions and the traffic and highway police.
The TIB conducted the two-year long survey among 368 motor vehicle owners and 310 transport labourers, interviewed BRTA officials, owners and transport trade union leaders, watched activities at the BRTA office, traffic control and passenger services, and conducted 13 group discussions for the research.
Prepared by TIB Research Officer Rezaul Karim, the report says 96 percent drivers do not get any appointment letters as there is no such obligation and in 84 percent cases vehicle owners do not pay their employees when their vehicles do not operate even if for valid reasons.
According to the report, motor vehicle owners bribe Tk 1,000-50,000 for getting their vehicles registered with BRTA while owners of new vehicles have to bribe a company operating on a Dhaka Metropolitan route Tk 10,000 to Tk 3 lakh to get their vehicles included in that company’s fleet.
Seventy-four percent owners said they were harassed while getting route permits and 75 percent of them had to give Tk 100-20,000 bribe for it. Political influence is also used to get route permits of the public service buses.
The report says 69 percent owners bribed Tk 1,000-20,000 to collect documents for changing ownership of their motor vehicles and Tk 100-10,000 to get fitness certificates without getting the vehicles checked.
Rezaul Karim said, “In metropolitan areas, police take up to Tk 3,000 a month in extortion while they take Tk 300-400 per trip from vehicles of long routes leaving metropolitan cities.”
The report notes that after accidents, police filed cases only against 21.43 percent vehicle owners and of those cases 60 percent were settled through bribing Tk 200-50,000 to police, who extort money from drivers both of short and long distance vehicles almost on all highways.
On road transport owners and labour organisations, the report says there is no transparency within these associations, which control terminals and extort money from all motor vehicles. They even use influence and force to get services from the BRTA.
Owners and trade union associations also extort Tk 500-1,000 monthly from motor vehicles when they enter district and divisional towns and intersections. For setting up counters on the routes of short distance bus services, new operators have to bribe the owners’ association Tk 10,000-50,000.
The issue of extortion is directly linked to the excessive transport fare people have to pay, Rezaul said.
The research observes that the motor vehicle regulations are seriously hampered because of limitations in the laws and lack of accountability and supervision of BRTA officials and employees. The officials have to spend 90 percent time for clients’ services, meaning they have little time to regulate motor vehicles.
The TIB suggested formation of a high-powered committee to identify the challenges in the transport sector, punish corrupt officials, formulate a moral code of conduct for BRTA officials, introduce online services and digital driving licence, and make accountable all stakeholders concerned.
The communications minister said, “We have already gone through the report and decided to bring institutional reforms to BRTA.”
TIB Chairman Prof Muzaffer Ahmad said, “We will extend any help possible to minimise corruption.”
Communications Secretary ASM Ali Kabir, BRTA Chairman Qamrul Hasan, lawmaker Shahjahan Khan, BRTA officials, transport owners and labour leaders were present at the programme moderated by the TIB executive director.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
