Tax big vehicles

PHOTO: Tamim Jamshed

Needless to point out that Dhaka is reeling from tremendous traffic jam. A lot has been repeatedly written and emphasised about the crippling problem. The solution to traffic jam lies in construction of flyovers, metro rail system, sky trains, more development of public transport system like buses, articulated buses etc, and reduction of private cars, vehicles etc from the streets.
Motor vehicles of different engine capacities are plying our roads -- cars, SUVs, jeeps, micro-buses, buses, trucks etc. Most of the private vehicles carry one or two passengers. The passenger carrying capacity of any car from 1000 CC to 2500 CC remains the same four persons. Yet a big volume car occupies more space on the roads than an equally efficient small volume car. Some cars, jeeps, SUVs are twice the size of normal sedan cars.
We propose the following measures to discourage people from owning 'big volume vehicles.' Firstly, a car of 1000 CC to 1300 CC should be considered a 'standard' private passenger vehicle. Other vehicles which occupy more space on the roads should be taxed according to the engine power i.e. CC. That will discourage people to buy big cars unnecessarily.
1500 CC car owners ought to pay an extra road occupancy tax- to be fixed up by the competent authority. Since the objective is to discourage and penalise, the tax should be high. The tax will progressively increase for 1800 CC, 2000 CC, 2500 CC, 3000 CC etc motorised vehicles.
The measure will act as a deterrent for unnecessarily owning a big volume vehicle and will also generate revenues for the government.