State-run agency compelled to suspend operations in several districts
Private bus operators and their associations are obstructing Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) to operate in many districts compelling the state-owned transport provider to suspend operation on different routes.
The private operators have been putting barricades on roads, intimidating passengers and threatening to damage BRTC buses in many areas demanding cuts in the number of its buses or complete withdrawal, BRTC General Manager (operations) Major Quazi Shafique Uddin told The Daily Star.
In the last few months, the corporation faced obstruction in Bagerhat, Thakurgaon, Brahmanbaria, Bogra, Rangpur, Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Kishoreganj, officials said.
“Passengers are feeling unsafe. Recently, we had to request police protection in several cases to continue our service. We’ve also filed a number of cases in this regard,” said a BRTC official in return for anonymity.
A few months ago, private operators in southwestern region called a strike demanding withdrawal of BRTC buses.
Sources in the BRTC said most private bus operators are in league with the ruling party. Many MPs and party leaders, who back private operators’ demand, themselves own buses.
Moreover, it is impossible to extort BRTC authorities, as is generally the case in transport sector. This might be another reason why a section of operators want BRTC to withdraw from different districts, they added.
Members of private bus association, however, blame BRTC for the situation saying that it operates without maintaining any guidelines.
“BRTC doesn’t follow either any guidelines or its ordinance formulated in 1961 during Pakistan era. It [the ordinance] is too old for today’s transport sector, and that is the reason of the dispute,” said Khandakar Enaytullah, secretary general of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Samity.
He alleged that whenever they establish a profitable route, BRTC introduces its service there, as it has easy access to any roads.
“It shouldn’t be the case. The private sector provides transport for majority of the passengers, not BRTC.”
Enaytullah said he wants the state-owned operator to flourish but there should be a policy.
BRTC general manager, however, differs with him.
“The BRTC ordinance permits the corporation to operate anywhere in the country without any permission from any authority.
“BRTC is supposed to set the standard for transport sector in the country but private operators are trying to dictate our operation,” he said.
At present, the corporation offers service on 159 routes in some 25 districts. Despite its popularity, good safety record and a yearly profit of around Tk 12.5 crore, BRTC shut down operations on around 100 routes in the last five years.
Service on routes connecting Dhaka with Barisal, Khulna, Rajshahi, Narayanganj, Narsindi, Kishoreganj, Tangail and Pabna have been either suspended or cut. BRTC, which used to operate on as many as 50 routes in Dhaka, now operates on five.
The state-run operator owns two percent of the total number of passenger buses carrying about 33 thousand commuters daily. Even a decade ago, it owned more than 10 percent of the buses operating in the country.
BRTC’s service, however, is shrinking also because of the appalling condition of its current fleet.
According to official record, the number of its buses has come down to 579 from 827. Currently, as many as 248 buses remain in workshop for repair, while another 100 were scrapped in the last couple of years.
BRTC GM (operations) said, “Majority of the buses exceeded their economic life. Besides, they weren’t repaired when required, which led to the dismal state of BRTC fleet.”
The government recently approved procurement of 950 buses — 300 double-deckers and 50 articulated (bendy) ones.
“The government wants to expand BRTC’s service all the way up to upazila level,” he said. But the negative role of private operators might stand in the way, he added.
