Manipulated automobile assembling

The transport sector has more problems than it can handle. A report carried in this newspaper on Sunday last has shed light on one such less known problem with serious implications. This concerns unapproved automobile assembling by factories which are not members of the Bangladesh Automobile Assemblers and Manufacturers Association (BAAMA). Unsurprisingly, someone responsible from the BAAMA has reportedly complained against the malpractice. Irregularities resorted to by assemblers outside the BAAMA range from use of reconditioned truck chassis for buses to manipulation with those for the purpose of increasing seat capacities of the ill-converted buses. By way of doing this, the importers of chassis violate the import orders too. Usually such tinkering should not go undetected if the field inspection is carried out rigorously. There is definitely foul play on the part of assemblers with or without the knowledge of field inspectors. The good thing is that there is no such complaint against the reputed companies who are members of the BAAMA.
Now that there are black sheep among assemblers, it is incumbent on the authorities to identify them immediately in order to arrest the damage done to the transport sector. Experts have warned of the danger posed by such vehicles assembled inappropriately. When the chassis of a bus is built, it is done keeping in mind the load capacity, alignment, centre of gravity, length and width of the vehicles to be designed on it. If the chassis is further lengthened by joining parts, all such factors get upset to the imbalance of the entire framework. The dynamic and static load, length, width, centre of gravity and eccentric load, of necessity, have to be measured individually in order to suit them for carrying goods and passengers. If truck chassis is used for a bus, the driver of the latter will be in no position to maintain the balance. When the chassis is further tinkered with, how dangerous the proposition becomes is anybody's guess. One possible reason for this type of tinkering is the lower price of chassis of the reconditioned trucks. So if the assembling line of trucks in individual factory is put under strict vigilance, assemblers will have little scope for such malpractice.
Sure enough enforcement of compliance to the law concerned is a major issue. But then some have stressed the need for enactment of a particular compliance law in order to get over the weakness of the existing one. The loopholes left give dishonest traders an undue advantage because they pay equal duty as do reputed companies but by converting the reconditioned truck chassis to those of buses they earn fabulous amount of profit. This too is unethical. Such makeshift automobile engineering has to be stopped once for all in order to ensure safety of passengers and also fair business practice. Neither of these can be compromised with. The country's track record in road accidents is already dismal; it cannot be allowed to slide further down the drain. Those found guilty of the malpractice should be meted out the punishment they deserve.