20,749 unfit vehicles in Ctg
Over 20,749 unfit light and heavy vehicles are plying the roads in Chittagong without fitness certificates, depriving the government of huge revenue.
Sources in the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Chittagong office said that out of a total of 81,274 light and heavy licensed vehicles, 60,525 renewed their fitness certificates by paying taxes by July 30 last.
The rest 20,749 vehicles are running without fitness certificates dodging around one fourth of the revenue in the sector in the last fiscal year.
The BRTA earned Tk 81.15 crore from 60,525 vehicles as fee and road tax in the last fiscal year while in the fiscal 2007-2008 it was Tk 61.14 crore from 42,236 vehicles.
Sources in the drivers' association said the unfit vehicles are usually run by untrained drivers and helpers, causing traffic congestion and road accidents. A huge number of people are killed and injured in road accidents every year.
Hospital and police sources said over 323 accidents took place in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari districts in last fiscal, leaving 321 people killed and 450 injured. Many accidents and causalities also remain unreported.
Nurul Alam, a driver in the city's Panchlaish area, told BSS that most of the unfit vehicles are running in the rural areas and the accidents they cause usually remain unreported.
Masud Alam, assistant director of BRTA, said they issue notices regularly on the defaulter vehicle owners for renewing the certificates and paying road taxes.
He said they also conduct drives against unfit vehicles with the help of Chittagong district administration, traffic department, metropolitan and district police.
Talking to the BSS, Mainul Hossain, deputy commissioner of traffic, said unfit vehicles are mostly responsible for traffic jams and road accidents in the district.
Underscoring the need for combined efforts by the traffic department and BRTA, he said drives against unfit vehicles would continue.
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