A proposal for legalising nearly 0.4 million (4 lakh) illegal vehicles by imposing due amounts of tax but no penalty is under consideration of the government.
Officials said the Roads and Highways Division of the ministry of road transport and bridges sent the proposal to the ministry of finance (MoF).
In the proposal the division also sought to give vehicle owners three months to update their documents.
However, a number of transport owners bitterly criticised the move of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA). They alleged that the initiative had been taken from a political point of view to give extra privilege to a section of unscrupulous transport businessmen.
They further alleged that some transport owners were having an upper hand over the authorities because of their political affiliations, they added.
They think the move will amount to extending the helping hand of the government to the dishonest transport owners.
The government will also lose a significant amount of revenue, if the proposal is implemented, according to them.
A large number of faulty vehicles are also there across the country and they create a chaotic situation on the country's roads and highways frequently, an official of the BRTA has said.
On the other hand, the government is being deprived of a substantial amount of revenue in taxes and fees, he mentioned.
The finance division received the BRTA proposal but had not yet taken any decision, a desk official said.
There were over 0.37 million (3.7 lakh) unregistered vehicles of different types until December last. They were plying across the country freely, according to the BRTA data.
BRTA chairman Md Nazrul Islam could not be contacted over phone for his comment about it.
When contacted, director (engineering) of BRTA Md Nurul Islam said: "Measures against the unregistered vehicles are being taken presently across the country through mobile courts."
About five mobile courts were being conducted in the Dhaka city for checking documents of vehicles, he said.
On the other hand, mobile courts were there in every district being run under the jurisdiction of deputy commissioners, he added.
He, however, said: "I have heard that an application has been sent to the MoF to legalise the vehicles without imposing any fine."
Earlier, Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Samity (BSPS), Chittagong Port Truck Owners Association and Chittagong District Sarak Paribahan Owners Group applied to the BRTA seeking exemption of fines on faulty vehicles.
A large number of motor vehicles, mostly old ones with broken bodies, faulty brakes and engines, continue to ply the city streets. These unfit vehicles are usually slow and break down on the roads all on a sudden, creating traffic jams and posing high risks to passengers, sources concerned said.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
