RSF calls for end to BRTC bus leasing
The Road Safety Foundation (RSF) on Sunday urged the government to immediately discontinue the leasing of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) buses to educational institutions and other public and private organisations, arguing that the practice undermines the availability of affordable transport services for the general public.
In a joint statement, RSF Chairman Prof Dr AI Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, Vice Chairmen Prof Hasina Begum, Dr Kamran ul Baset and Abdullah Md Ferdous Khan, and Executive Director Sayedur Rahman said BRTC was established with public funds to provide transport services to citizens and should prioritise that responsibility.
The organisation alleged that a substantial number of BRTC passenger buses have been leased to educational institutions as well as government, autonomous and private organisations for years, limiting transport services available to ordinary commuters.
According to the statement, leased buses are generally used to carry students or employees in the morning and again in the afternoon, remaining idle for much of the day.
Meanwhile, thousands of passengers in Dhaka continue to rely on overcrowded and poorly maintained private buses for daily travel.
Questioning the justification for leasing publicly owned transport assets, the RSF called on authorities to examine whether such arrangements are consistent with the corporation’s intended public service mandate.
The foundation also alleged that some dishonest BRTC officials and employees have intentionally reduced passenger services, leased out buses and allowed many vehicles to become inoperative before the end of their economic lifespan, ultimately disposing of them as scrap to benefit private transport operators.
The statement further raised concerns over the status of a large number of Volvo articulated and air-conditioned buses purchased with public funds.
It claimed many of these buses have disappeared from city routes despite not having reached the end of their operational life.
The RSF argued that stronger transport capacity under BRTC could have reduced dependence on private operators and helped address fare irregularities and disorder in the transport sector.
“Dishonest officials and employees of BRTC assist private bus operators in perpetuating this chaos. As a result, BRTC has failed to provide the level of transport service expected by the public,” the statement said.
The organisation also noted that BRTC passenger services on several routes in the capital remained suspended from the Eid holidays until Saturday, causing financial and physical difficulties for low- and middle-income commuters.
To ensure greater transparency and accountability, the RSF called for the immediate abolition of the bus leasing system and proposed the formation of an independent investigation committee comprising judges, economists and public transport experts.
The proposed committee, it said, should examine the total number of buses procured by BRTC, those currently operating, those retired after completing their service life, and the reasons behind the corporation’s financial losses.
The foundation also demanded action against those found responsible for any irregularities and appealed to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to take effective measures to strengthen transparency and accountability within BRTC.
