Unfit buses off the streets as drive starts

Only 4 old buses seized; 236 fined for not having documents
At least 236 buses and minibuses were fined Tk 1.94 lakh in the capital for not having fitness, tax and insurance certificates yesterday, the first day of a drive against unfit vehicles.
Only four old buses could be seized as the owners of most of 4,000 unfit buses and minibuses did not press the vehicles into service fearing legal actions by mobile courts.
Sixteen mobile courts carried out the drive simultaneously throughout the capital to keep the city roads free from dilapidated and unauthorised vehicles.
Additional District Magistrate Amitabh Sarkar, who is coordinating the drive, said the mobile courts would continue the drive until they achieve success.
Nearly 1,446 buses, 8,125 trucks and 2,365 minibuses that are unfit and dilapidated are plying the city roads.
The government earlier decided to launch a drive to rid the city of 20-year-old buses and minibuses, and 25-year-old trucks and vans. The drive will be conducted four days a week.
Meanwhile, a large number of commuters, especially office-goers and students, struggled to find buses during rush hours. Many were found waiting on the streets for hours while some walked all the way to their destinations.
Those who managed to board buses or minibuses found it difficult to find space in the crowded vehicles. Some were left with no choice but to hire CNG-run auto-rickshaws.
“We usually face problems in getting transport in the morning. But the number of buses on the street was very low today forcing many to walk to their destinations,” said Tapan, who walked up to Jatrabari from Shonir Akhra.
Rakib Hasan, a resident of Khilgaon, said he waited for a bus for over one hour in vain to go to the Jatiya Press Club.
“We cancelled our programme at the Jatiya Press Club after failing to get any transport from Karwan Bazar,” said Dhrubo Sourabh, an employee of a private organisation, in Karwan Bazar at about 12:30pm.
Similar was the spectacle in almost all parts of the city throughout the day. The scarcity of motor vehicles, however, brought fortune for rickshaw and van pullers, many of whom charged almost double the usual fare.
“I had to pay a rickshaw-puller Tk 80 to go to Purana Paltan from Rampura while the standard fare is Tk 40,” said a staff of a private company. The government should have arranged more public buses before launching the drive, he said.
Executive Magistrate Saidur Rahman, who led a mobile court in Tejgaon, said they fined 21 vehicles Tk 18,000 until 2:30pm.
“We started the drive at 11:00am but failed to seize even a single old bus,” he said.
Another Executive Magistrate Mahbubur Rahman said, “We found fault in eight vehicles and fined them Tk 10,800. Legal actions were taken against them.”

Courtesy of The Daily Star