Anarchy in transport sector
Sunday, 22 June 2008
Country's road transport sector is in a state of anarchy. Problems are many and of varied nature. The official agencies which are in-charge of the sector instead of solving the problems have allowed them to continue and intensify further. Following the 1/11 political changeover, many had expected some tangible change in the situation. But, unfortunately, their expectations have remained unfulfilled and there has not been an iota of change in the anarchic situation that prevailed during the successive governments, political or otherwise. The public buses and trucks are still giving a damn to traffic rules and the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) while plying on the city streets and on highways.
The toll collection by musclemen engaged by the associations of bus owners and trade unions of the transport workers has been going on unabatedly at various bus terminals and bus stoppages in Dhaka and elsewhere of the country. A large number of buses plying in Dhaka city are old and in dilapidated condition having no back lights, indicators, rear view mirrors etc. And the bus owners bother least about the safety and comfort of the passengers. Neither the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) nor the traffic department of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is found interested to evict those unfit buses from the streets and punish others for violating traffic rules and MVA frequently. However, the same traffic police are, at times, found to be very dutiful in enforcing traffic rules or MVA provisions on privately owned vehicles. Interestingly, the communication ministry, despite being aware of the dwindling traffic capacity of Dhaka streets, allowed the opening of new routes and commissioning of a large of number of new buses in recent years. Underhand payments, reportedly, played a part in making the ministry extremely lenient.
A recent decision of the government to hike the passenger fares of CNG-run buses in Dhaka and Chittagong in line with the recommendations by a committee demonstrates the high level of official insensitivity to the wellbeing of the commuters, mostly coming from low and middle income groups. Allegations have it that many CNG-run buses are now charging fares more than what have been fixed by the government. Following reports on the media, the BRTA has, of late, plunged into action and taken punitive measures against some buses for violating the government-fixed fare rates. But the question is: why did the communication ministry succumb to pressure given by the bus owners to hike fares in the event of recent upward revision in CNG tariff? Actually, the operational cost of CNG-run vehicles in terms of fuel was well below that of the diesel-run buses. But there had been no difference in their fares. Despite protests from the passengers, the communication ministry failed to initiate any remedial measure to stop this kind of cheating by bus owners. The latest fare rates fixed by the government for the CNG-run buses are more than those of the diesel-run buses, notwithstanding the fact that the spending on account of fuel of the former is still lower than that of the latter. The poor and low income people who are already hit hard by the spiraling prices of essential commodities have expressed their serious dissatisfaction at the latest bus fare revision. It is obvious that the commuters after sporadic protests would accept the highhandedness of the bus owners and insensitivity of the government as their fait accompli and go on paying the unjustified fares. But how long the communication ministry and the BRTA would continue to side with the bus owners and allow victimization of poor passengers?
The toll collection by musclemen engaged by the associations of bus owners and trade unions of the transport workers has been going on unabatedly at various bus terminals and bus stoppages in Dhaka and elsewhere of the country. A large number of buses plying in Dhaka city are old and in dilapidated condition having no back lights, indicators, rear view mirrors etc. And the bus owners bother least about the safety and comfort of the passengers. Neither the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) nor the traffic department of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is found interested to evict those unfit buses from the streets and punish others for violating traffic rules and MVA frequently. However, the same traffic police are, at times, found to be very dutiful in enforcing traffic rules or MVA provisions on privately owned vehicles. Interestingly, the communication ministry, despite being aware of the dwindling traffic capacity of Dhaka streets, allowed the opening of new routes and commissioning of a large of number of new buses in recent years. Underhand payments, reportedly, played a part in making the ministry extremely lenient.
A recent decision of the government to hike the passenger fares of CNG-run buses in Dhaka and Chittagong in line with the recommendations by a committee demonstrates the high level of official insensitivity to the wellbeing of the commuters, mostly coming from low and middle income groups. Allegations have it that many CNG-run buses are now charging fares more than what have been fixed by the government. Following reports on the media, the BRTA has, of late, plunged into action and taken punitive measures against some buses for violating the government-fixed fare rates. But the question is: why did the communication ministry succumb to pressure given by the bus owners to hike fares in the event of recent upward revision in CNG tariff? Actually, the operational cost of CNG-run vehicles in terms of fuel was well below that of the diesel-run buses. But there had been no difference in their fares. Despite protests from the passengers, the communication ministry failed to initiate any remedial measure to stop this kind of cheating by bus owners. The latest fare rates fixed by the government for the CNG-run buses are more than those of the diesel-run buses, notwithstanding the fact that the spending on account of fuel of the former is still lower than that of the latter. The poor and low income people who are already hit hard by the spiraling prices of essential commodities have expressed their serious dissatisfaction at the latest bus fare revision. It is obvious that the commuters after sporadic protests would accept the highhandedness of the bus owners and insensitivity of the government as their fait accompli and go on paying the unjustified fares. But how long the communication ministry and the BRTA would continue to side with the bus owners and allow victimization of poor passengers?