Ads Covering Bus Windows: BRTA fines two companies

Amid growing safety concerns -- especially for female passengers, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has started a drive against transport owners who are covering windows of their buses with advertisement, blocking inside and outside views.

A mobile court led by BRTA Executive Magistrate Mazharul Islam yesterday fined two bus companies Tk 10,000 each for violating Road Transport Act-2018 by covering widows with advertisements.

The two companies -- Dhaka Chaka and Green Dhaka -- averted further punishment by giving written bond that they would remove advertisements from all of their buses within next seven days. Another bus company -- Shatabdi Paribahan -- also gave similar promise.

BRTA decided to launch an investigation recently after receiving several allegations of uses of advertisement on bus windows, compromising passengers' security, especially of female passengers, the state transport regulator said in a press statement.

Visiting different spots, the allegations were found true, says the press release. Publishing advertisement on motor vehicles without prior approval of authority is an offence under Road Transport Act, it added.

It also mentioned that BRTA Director (enforcement) AKM Masudur Rahman yesterday held a meeting with transport owners where representatives of these three companies were present. The owners were convinced about the security concerns and gave the bond to remove those advertisement.

BRTA mobile courts would carry out regular drive against it after the deadline.