Information minister Hasanul Haq Inu told a recent roundtable that unskilled drivers and unfit vehicles were being provided with licence and registration by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA). Bitterly criticising the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), he said, if corruption in the agency is not curbed, road accidents won't decrease. Road accidents are increasing because of lobbying to set culprit drivers free after accidents and corruption by the BRTA officials, he added.
Indeed, the authority is yet to come up with the expected level of performance in reducing corruption, malpractices and financial irregularities despite spending a big sum of money for its digitisation.
Several programmes were launched through spending over Tk 12 billion to digitise issuance of driving licences and number-plates as well as the payment system. It has also set up a central data system for storing all kinds of information on motorised transports. The BRTA, of late, began introducing digital 'blue books' from the end of last calendar year.
Yet, all these efforts are allegedly being proved to be futile. The country's roads and thoroughfares are still occupied by unfit and illegal transports while vehicles are being recklessly driven by low-skilled drivers violating traffic rules and regulations.
It was assumed that digitisation would help check corruption, malpractices and financial irregularities in its services, but it failed to live up to the expectation. Many say when the regulatory authority itself is allegedly responsible for most of the irregularities persisting in the country's roads and transport sector, one wonders how the digitations process will yield tangible benefits.
Under the digitisation programme launched in 2011, the BRTA has completed development of the central data system, where all information relating to about 2.0 million transports is recorded. A good number of digital driving licences and number-plates have also been issued, according to reports.
Officials, however, say other than an increase in revenue earnings of the authority, it has brought hardly any benefit to the people.
Transport analysts say issuance of genuine licences, now digitised, does not guarantee the required driving skills of drivers. The computerised fee submission system could not check harassment in the form of realisation of different 'charges' or middlemen's involvement in the system.
There is no denying that a good number of digital number-plates were issued to the car owners. But what benefits they really get! Analysts say, as the law enforcement agencies were not involved with the whole process, roads are still being occupied by unfit vehicles. Hence, the benefits remain far fetched as yet.
In fact, due benefits of digitisation could not be achieved except an increase in revenue. Many say, it would be possible to reap the benefits only after bringing all vehicles under the BRTA's various digital programmes.
According to the BRTA data, revenue earnings has increased to Tk 7.69 billion in the last fiscal year from Tk 6.85 billion in the previous FY.
Some 0.3 million vehicles out of an estimated total of 2.0 million took digital number-plates during the last one and a half years. On an average, 500 number-plates and 150 driving licences are issued a day. This is highly inadequate.
However, there are allegations that fitness certificates of vehicles are still being issued without physical presence of any transport. Moreover, there are lapses in the system of checking fitness of vehicles. Nearly 61 per cent of the driving licences are allegedly obtained without the drivers having to go through any kind of tests.
No less worrying is the fact that 54 per cent of the drivers have licences with no validity. It is bribing that does the trick whenever the drivers fail to meet the legal requirements and the amount of money that they have to pay varies according to the nature and extent of the violation of rules.
A TIB study found that the country's road transport sector is performing well below the desired level. Problems like traffic congestion in urban areas, environmental pollution caused by worn-out vehicles and an unusually high number of road accidents persist year after year. Moreover, the owners of vehicles have to bribe the BRTA officials at almost every step while applying for route permits or any other necessary activity.
Now, it is the turn of the traffic police to make the most out of accidents or violation of rules. Bribing appears to be the panacea for whatever problem the vehicles face while operating. The TIB has also pointed out some limitations of the BRTA officials who, according to the study, are overburdened.
The policy makers should take note of it and decide making the changes that will help the BRTA attain the needed level of efficiency in both client service and regulation of motor vehicles.
There are thousands of vehicles in the streets which should have been scrapped long ago. Yet, the corrupt BRTA system keeps them going as fitness certificates can be obtained so easily. The result is pollution and a higher risk of accident. The ultimate situation of course becomes critical when these outdated vehicles are driven by drivers with fake or no licence.
Enforcement of traffic rules and ensuring discipline on the roads will ever remain elusive if the authority continues to perform dismally. What is needed at this stage is to get to the bottom of corruption and anomalies with a view to making the BRTA a modernised and competent road transport management agency through digitisation.
Transport sector analysts recommend introducing a biometric system for driving tests, computerised screening of fitness of vehicles, data of learners, setting up radio frequency identification centres at BRTA offices etc., which will ultimately improve the overall services.
szkhan@dhaka.net
Whither BRTA digitisation?
Shahiduzzaman Khan | Published: April 05, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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