Unfit, outdated vehicles must be off the road for the safety of city dwellers

The air quality crisis in Dhaka city is a pressing issue that continues to endanger the health and well-being of its residents.

The situation is exacerbated by certain government decisions that not only worsen air pollution but also put people’s lives at risk.

One such decision came in August when the government backtracked on its commitment to limit the lifespan of commercial vehicles.

This backtrack effectively allowed tens of thousands of decades-old vehicles with engines that emit high levels of pollution to continue operating on the city’s roads.

Dhaka’s air pollution is primarily caused by old vehicles and those with malfunctioning engines.

Adding to the problem, authorities lack the necessary tools to effectively monitor and control vehicle emissions.

While compressed natural gas (CNG) offers a cleaner alternative to diesel and petrol, the number of vehicles using CNG has been declining due to rising prices and a lack of incentives for choosing this environmentally friendly option.

Air pollution poses a significant threat to public health and is one of the most pressing environmental issues facing Dhaka.

With a population of over two crore residents, Dhaka consistently ranks among the cities with the worst air quality.

Older vehicles, in particular, are major contributors to air pollution due to their emissions of toxic gases resulting from incomplete fuel combustion.

To effectively combat air pollution in Dhaka, it is imperative to reduce the number of unfit and outdated vehicles on the city’s roads.

As of April this year, approximately 5.68 lakh registered vehicles lacked fitness certificates, signifying that these vehicles had not undergone proper fitness checks.

This number had already reached 5.08 lakh in January the previous year.

Moreover, there are thousands of unregistered vehicles in the country for which authorities have no information about their condition.

Over the past few years, the number of CNG-run vehicles, especially buses, minibuses, and trucks, has seen a significant decline.

When the authorities will finally take matters seriously, and solve the root causes of this severe air pollution problem? They must act now to implement major changes to the system, and ensure safety of the city residents.