BRTA resumes scrapping unfit auto-rickshaws

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Chattogram has resumed scrapping CNG-run auto-rickshaws that are at least 15 years old and plying the port city roads, five months after the High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by vehicle owners challenging the process.

The drive resumed on September 13 and on the day, BRTA had scrapped 47 three-wheelers on its premises in presence of an executive magistrate. The authorities have already scrapped 161 outdated vehicles and till Monday, the mobile courts sent 154 unfit ones for dumping.

BRTA issued a notification on September 11 in local newspapers in this regard.

In April, BRTA took the initiative to scrap auto-rickshaws manufactured in 2002 or earlier.

At that time, they dismantled 412 vehicles in 14 days (till April 26), but the drive was halted as some vehicle owners filed the writ petition. The HC, however, dismissed it the same month but BRTA could not start the drive due to lack of magistrates, said its officials.

With appointment of two magistrates on August 27, BRTA resumed the drive. It is now planning to dismantle 1,280 outdated vehicles as per its list by October 10 in the second phase.

Though BRTA planned to dismantle 80 vehicles a day, the turnout was comparatively poor on the first day as around 50 percent of the listed vehicles were brought to its premises.

The low turnout was due to reasons such as theft of vehicles or some getting damaged in road accidents, suspected BRTA Executive Magistrate Ziaul Haque Mir.

“Those who could not appear on the allotted day would be given chance to show up later. They don't have any other option as we are also conducting drives on the roads regularly,” he said. The turnout eventually increased, he added.

After the appointment of two magistrates, BRTA had been conducting regular drives since August 30. It also halted renewing registrations of the outdated vehicles since 2012.

According to BRTA, around 13,000 registered auto-rickshaws are plying the city roads. Of those, more than 2,000 (registered in 2002) became outdated.

“Most of these vehicles had become outdated in 2011, after nine years of their manufacturing. But due to the request of some owners' associations, timeframe was extended in two phases, which ended in December last year,” said Mohammad Shahidullah, deputy director of BRTA.

“We also issued registration numbers to new vehicles against the scrapped ones in the first phase so that our initiative does not cause any sort of transport crisis. We also plan to do the same this time,” he added.

Contacted, Nazrul Islam Khokon, convener of CNG Auto-Rickshaw Oikya Parishad, said, “The scrapping process may bring distress to some owners… but it is necessary.”

“The cylinders in those have expired and are like live bombs. They can explode anytime…,” he added.

He, however, alleged, “The owners take their vehicles to BRTA on allotted days but for some irregularities [of the officials] they were given different dates.”

“This is a hassle as they [owners] cannot drive the vehicles. They either have to drag it to BRTA or hire another vehicle to take those there,” he added.

BRTA, however, refuted the allegation, saying some owners were given different dates if they did not show up on the assigned day or the officials were unable to complete the process.