Drive against old vehicles must persist

Of all the sectors that affect people's day-to-day life in Bangladesh, road transport remains one of the most chaotic and undisciplined. Any attempt to fix it has always fallen through, thanks to the strong resistance put up by transport owners and workers. According to a report by this daily, they have now threatened to go on a nationwide strike for 72 hours on August 12 if the ongoing drive against old, unfit vehicles is not stopped. Not only is this demand in direct conflict with the imperatives of public health and safety, but it also forces us to look deeper into the anarchy in this sector. We must ask: why are transport owners and workers so bent on disregarding any regulatory action meant to discipline the sector?

Per our report, three major road transport organisations made the above-mentioned demand while protesting the government drive, which was launched on July 20 aiming to curb road crashes and environmental pollution. Their eight-point demand also includes extending the economic lifespan of outdated vehicles by 5-10 years, amending the provisions in the Road Transport Act (RTA) regarding punishments for reckless driving and crash-related offences.

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Remove expired vehicles from the streets

There is little doubt that these demands are unreasonable and dangerous. There are 6.26 lakh unfit vehicles currently operating across the country, according to BRTA data. Meanwhile, more than 80,000 buses, minibuses, trucks, lorries and tankers have already exceeded their economic life as of July 16. This being the reality, we are unable to comprehend on what basis the transport leaders are demanding an extension of these vehicles' economic lifespan, when these rickety old buses and trucks are responsible for fatal road crashes, not to mention toxic emissions. In their defence, they argued that proper maintenance and spare part replacement can fix the problem. But if that were the case, how come there are still so many unfit vehicles in the first place?

For years, attempts to fix the road transport sector have been frequently stonewalled by the powerful transport associations. The RTA, passed seven years ago following the road safety movement, remains stuck in limbo because they refuse to cooperate with the government and put public well-being above their own interest. Blatant disregard for the existing rules is commonplace, no matter the consequence. Undue political influence and rampant corruption have caused a rot in the sector, especially during the Awami League regime, and its remnants continue to haunt us to this day.

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Will road fatalities go on without end?

Things cannot go on like this. Transport associations must not be allowed to hold a vital public service hostage whenever they don't get their way. The government must be firm in employing any legitimate measure to sort out the mess that this sector has become. Meanwhile, more dialogues should be held involving all stakeholders to work out a way to resolve the impasse. But whatever the outcome may be, people's safety must never be compromised.