In order to compete with the increasing demand for comfortable public transport, especially for travel in longer routes, the bus transport authorities have launched air conditioned, luxury bus services. These buses usually charge higher fares than their non-AC counterparts. However, luxury buses across the country are being registered as mini buses as the road transport authority does not have a specific registration category for these vehicles.
This has given the bus authorities free reign to charge exorbitant fares, without any scope for the passengers’ complaints to be resolved. Moreover, the government is losing out on revenue as Bangladesh Road Transport Authority has no control over the fares charged.
The BRTA says that it does not have any specific laws or guidelines in place for the luxury buses and hence gives registration based on the number of seats. Although those buses are 28-seaters, they are registered as mini buses.
Under the BRTA regulations vehicles need to be 36-seaters in order to be registered as business class or commercial transport.
The transport owners themselves are dissatisfied as the vehicles are registered as mini buses but more often than not traffic sergeants on the road fine them for the discrepancies in the original seat numbers to that mentioned in the blue books.
They themselves want to be rid of the harassment by paying due revenues and registering the vehicles as luxury transport.
Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association Secretary General Khandaker Enayetullah says that highly expensive vehicles such as Scania high deck buses are being registered as mini buses.
“The BRTA does not have any categories such as AC buses. Luxury commercial buses are being given registration as regular ones. How is it that vehicles worth crores are registered as mini buses?” he said.
Enayetullah told Bangla Tribune that he has written to the BRTA a number of times only to receive that the same answer that the road transport regulation authority does not have any guidelines for these vehicles.
“The BRTA can call a meeting and include the category in their software through a resolution. The chairman has assured me that they will fix it,” he said.
A BRTA magistrate, during a raid at Gabtoli bus terminal on May 31, found that JR Transport was indeed charging exorbitant fares but could not fine them.
“No steps can be taken against them, neither can they be fined as the BRTA does not have any guidelines or laws in place regarding AC buses,” said BRTA Chairman Mohammed Moshiar Rahman.
He added that the owners will fix the fares after discussion with the passengers.
Responding to queries on the matter, BRTA’s Road Safety Division chief Mahbub-e-Rabbani said that it’s a simple matter of writing ‘luxurious’ in the blue book but it can’t be done yet as the software needs to be modifies.
He added that talks were underway regarding the matter but nothing has yet been finalised.