Form taskforce in districts to stop unfit vehicles, HC asks govt

The government has been directed by the High Court today to form separate taskforce in all districts to monitor and stop unregistered and unfit vehicles.

The taskforce will be headed by the deputy commissioner, the HC added.

Secretaries to the ministry of public administration, home affairs and road transport and bridges will take necessary steps to form the taskforce in line with the Road Transport Act 2018 in order to take appropriate legal action including seizing, stopping and dumping of unfit and unregistered vehicles, the High Court said while hearing a suo moto rule.

The court also directed the authorities concerned of the government to submit separate reports after complying with the directives in the next three months.

High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam also fixed June 1 for passing further order on this issue, deputy attorney general AKM Amin Uddin Manik told The Daily Star.

Manik said the taskforce will be comprised of deputy commissioner, concerned executive magistrate and representatives from Road Transport Department and police for taking necessary action against unregistered and unfit vehicles.

The HC bench had issued a rule on March 27 last year following a report published on The Daily Star on March 23 under the headline "No fitness docs, yet running".

In the rule, it asked the authorities concerned of the government to explain why their inaction to bar unfit vehicles and unlicensed drivers should not be declared illegal and why directives should not be given to implement the relevant laws, including the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1983.

On February 12, the High Court wanted to know from the authorities concerned of the government how unfit vehicles were still operating.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) have been asked to inform the court today (February 16) about their action in this regard.

On the same day, BRTA submitted a report before a HC bench saying that only 1,65,764 vehicles renewed their fitness certificates till December 30 last year among 4,58,359 that the BRTA had identified to be without valid documents.

Therefore, 2,92,595 vehicles without valid fitness documents are plying the roads since December 30 last year, according to the BRTA report.