Overloaded vehicles posing risk of accident in Sylhet

Various modes of vehicles ply on the roads of Sylhet region are being overloaded with passengers and goods posing risk of accident any moment.
The drivers recklessly run these vehicles, especially minibuses, on the roads of Sylhet, Sunamgonj, Moulovibazar, Hobigonj and neighbouring districts with passengers and goods beyond their capacity, leaving both the riders and pedestrians in fear of meeting accident any moment. Regardless of people’s safety, they run the vehicles mostly according to their whims and caprices.
Sources said that the private bus operators callously treat the passengers and in collecting extra fare. There is none to take actions against the errant vehicle operators. Beside minibuses, other vehicles, particularly auto-rickshaws, pickup vans, tractors and human haulers carry passengers beyond their capacity exposing the passengers to extreme risk. They also charge the passengers extra fares.
The passengers, among them tourists and visitors, have to face unwanted obstacles at every step. Using the opportunity of absence of BRTC bus service, local busses are collecting excessive fares ignoring passengers’ interest.
Most of the vehicles carry excessive number of passengers from Sylhet central bus terminal every day causing immense suffering to their users. If the passengers react somehow, they are to be harassed by the transport staff.
Such anomalies continue day after day to the knowledge of the leaders of the Bus Owners Association.
Assistant Commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police Rahmot Ullah said, ‘It is difficult to check over-loading of buses and other vehicles because passengers too are desperate to get into there for reaching ahead of the rear bus and others.’
Ali Hasan, 42, a passenger, said most of the minibuses that ply between Sylhet-Sunamgonj have 42 seats, but the transport workers accommodate at least 55 passengers and collect extra fare from every one.
Moreover, the area of the rooms inside the bus is not standard.
In most of the buses, when a passenger takes seat, his knee has to be kept bending because of narrow space between the two front seats, Ali further said.
Sylhet division authorities too have turned a blind eye to the plight of the passengers.
Traffic police allegedly collect a big amount of money in an illegal way from different points on Sylhet-Dhaka, Sylhet-Sunamgonj routes to let the buses pass without interruption.
Sources said, the drivers of most of these vehicles do not have licences, route permits and fitness certificates or other necessary documents. Some businessmen bought these vehicles from Dhaka at low cost.
These vehicles cause accidents frequently. President of the Intercity Minibus Owners’ Association Afroj Ali said, ‘The practice of collecting excess fare is unethical and unlawful. We shall take necessary actions in this regard.’