Govt backtracks on removing unfit vehicles amid strike threats

Staff Reporter :

The government has retreated from its plan to remove old and unfit vehicles from city roads, following threats of a nationwide strike by powerful transport owner and worker associations. This decision came following the severe air pollution and public health risks posed by these vehicles.
Dhaka’s air is frequently clouded by black smoke, a major contributor to the city’s air pollution.

According to report, over 15 per cent of air pollution is caused by these dilapidated vehicles, which pose serious health threats like asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer to residents.
Despite legal provisions that prohibit buses and minibuses older than 20 years, trucks and vans older than 25 years from operating, these vehicles continue to run freely.

This is largely due to the influence of transport associations and irregularities within the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority. Government figures reveal that over 41,000 trucks and vans and nearly 40,000 buses and minibuses are currently past their legal lifespan, many without valid fitness certificates. Government’s initiativeof last July to launch a crackdown on these unfit vehicles was quickly suspended after transport groups threatened a massive strike.

Surprisingly, the government is now offering new concessions to the owners. The age limit for importing reconditioned buses and trucks has been extended from five to twelve years, and there are plans to provide low-interest loans and tax benefits to owners of old vehicles.

Experts warn that these policy relaxations will deteriorate the situation. Transport analysts argue that if the government continues to prioritize the interests of transport owners over public health, controlling Dhaka’s air pollution will be impossible. They also believe that road chaos will not bereduced unless these old vehicles are taken off the market.

Environmentalists underscore lack of good governance and government’s history of undermining initiatives due to corruption and pressure from transport lobbies. This results in citizens suffering while no effective, long-term solutions are implemented.

An environmental expert commented, “The biggest culprit for Dhaka’s air pollution is black smoke from vehicles and the government should stop unfit vehicles from running right now.