Around 33 percent of the buses across the country don’t have fitness certificates, says a Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) report filed with the High Court.
The 150-page report was filed with the HC bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal on Thursday (Feb 7).
The report says that 56 percent of the buses don’t have speed control certificate either.
Last year, the High Court formed a 16-member probe committee and ordered a survey on transports without fitness after hearing a petition filed by lawyer Tanvir Ahmed.
The independent and impartial committee headed by the home secretary, BRTA chairman and road, transport and bridges secretary was ordered to file the report within three months.
“BRTA submitted the report today and it shows that 33 percent of the public buses don’t have fitness certificate and 56 percent don’t have speed control certificate,” Tanvir Ahmed told Bangla Tribune.
He said that during the hearing the CID report of filmmaker Tareque Masud’s accident and his family receiving compensation was produced where the matter of the car not having fitness surfaced.
“We produced the photo of Titumir College student Rajib’s case and that bus was unfit as well,” said Ahmed.
He added that the case of the two students who were run over in front of Kurmitola General Hospital, an incident that led to the countrywide road-safety movement, also showed that the bus did not have fitness.
“Hence the court was moved to issue a rule in the matter,” Ahmed said.
The HC then issued a rule asking why the defendant allowing transports without fitness to be out on the streets should not be declared illegal. It also asked why the court should not ban buses without fitness from the streets.
The road, transport and bridges secretary, home secretary, BRTA chairman, Bangladesh road safety department director, BRTA enforcement department director and the inspector general of police have been made respondent to the rule within four weeks.