Mobile court cracks down on errant buses, dodgy drivers

Hundreds of commuters travel by buses in the capital every day without knowing that many of the drivers don't have driving licence.

For instance, Aminul Islam, who had no driving licence, was given the task of driving a bus of Bihanga Paribahan yesterday. He started for Mirpur-10 from Sadarghat with around 20 passengers in the morning.

An accident could have occurred any time, as he isn't a professional driver. But luckily for the passengers, a mobile court of Dhaka South City Corporation caught him near the Bangabandhu Avenue around noon.

When the magistrate, Abdus Salam, asked him to show driving licence, he failed to do so.

The court then sentenced him to one month's imprisonment, said Mukdom Hossain, conductor of the bus.

To reduce traffic congestion and road accidents, Dhaka South City Corporation along with Bangladesh Road Transport Authority launched a drive against over 20-year-old buses, unfit vehicles and drivers without legal documents yesterday. A mobile court checks papers of drivers in Motijheel. Photos: Prabir Das, Palash Khan

“He [Aminul] was driving the bus as a replacement for the regular driver,” said Mukdom, adding that such practice is common in the transport sector.

“You will find that only a small number of drivers have driving licence,” he told this correspondent around 2:00pm.

DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon instructs a bus driver to stop for inspection in Gulistan. Photos: Prabir Das, Palash Khan

About 30 minutes later, the same mobile court stopped an Uttara-bound bus on the Bangabandhu Avenue, and found that a trainee driver was operating the vehicle.

The court sentenced him to one month's imprisonment.

Talking to this correspondent, the trainee driver, Md Jewel, said he would soon get a licence for driving heavy vehicles.

Law enforcers do the same in Motijheel. Photos: Prabir Das, Palash Khan

He kept mum when asked why he drove the vehicle without having licence.

The DSCC, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and Dhaka Deputy Commissioner's Office jointly conducted a drive yesterday against unfit vehicles and unlicensed drivers in the capital's Gulistan, Motijheel and Dainik Bangla areas.

Due to the drive, an unusually empty Shahbagh intersection around 11:30am. Photos: Prabir Das, Palash Khan

DSCC Estate Officer Debashish Nag, coordinator of the drive, said three mobile courts yesterday filed 70 cases, and fined transport companies and drivers Tk 79,500 for violating traffic rules.

“Four were given one month's imprisonment and two were sentenced to 15 days in jail.”

Three buses were sent to dumping stations for not having valid documents, he said.

Earlier, inaugurating the drive around 11:00am, DSCC Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon said incompetent and uneducated drivers are responsible for most of the accidents and also for traffic jam in the city.

A police official checks a driver's documents in Motijheel. Photos: Prabir Das, Palash Khan

According to the Motor Vehicles Rules, 1984, a person, not being a foreign national, will not be eligible for holding a driving licence under the ordinance if he doesn't know how to read and write either in Bangla or English.

A few years back, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, also executive president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, said a driver doesn't need to be educated to get a driving licence.

Asked about Shajahan's statement, Khokon said, “It doesn't matter how powerful a person is and what he says, the law will take its own course.

“I am asking transport owners to do business in line with the law, and discard unfit vehicles … please don't allow uneducated and unlicensed drivers to operate vehicles.”

The drive would continue, he added.