Transport sector: Govt compromises, yet again

Apparently giving in to pressure from transport associations, the government once again waived the fines for failing to update documents of vehicles on time.

Road Transport and Highway Division announced in a circular yesterday that motorists would enjoy the waiver until December 31 this year.

Motorists have to pay fines for a vehicle's outdated fitness certificate, tax token, and route permit, and for an expired driver's licence.

This is the fourth time the government has waived the fine since January 2020. Defaulters will be enjoying the waiver for almost two years, excepting the period between July and September this year.

Such periods of remission were also announced several times in between 2015 and 2020.

In each of the three previous circulars since January 2020, it was mentioned that it would be the last time the government would offer the waiver. The one issued yesterday mentioned no such thing.

On all three occasions, the ministry asked Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to circulate the information among transport owners. The latter even published the notice in newspapers earlier this year, inviting people with expired vehicle documents to get the papers updated by June without paying anything in fines.

Yesterday's circular came several weeks after a section of transport owners and workers observed a two-day strike to press home a 15-point demand that includes the waiver of the fines.

Contacted, eminent road safety campaigner Ilias Kanchan said the latest decision was the outcome of lobbying and demonstrations by transport associations.

Many transport owners and drivers do not get the papers updated on time as they wait for such periods of remission, he said.

As a result, unfit vehicles continue to be on the roads without going through the inspections done while the papers are updated, the chairman of Nirapad Sarak Chai told The Daily Star yesterday, adding that this was a reason why the number of crashes does not come down.

Owners and drivers of private vehicles tend to have updated papers, but that is not the case when it comes to commercial vehicles, said a BRTA official.

A good number of the 4.5 lakh buses, trucks and lorries on the roads do not have proper documents, said transport association leaders and BRTA officials.

Contacted, BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder said many vehicle owners could not update the papers due to the lockdown. The latest waiver will give them the chance.

He added that the government did not give in to pressure from transport associations.

EXEMPTION NOW NORM

Exemption from paying the fines was one of the major demands of transport workers who went on strike in November 2019, protesting the supposed implementation of the Road Transport Act-2018.

The new law stipulated hefty fines on vehicles with outdated papers.

The government on January 20, 2020 waived the fine until June that year. The waiver was later extended to June this year.

"We wanted not to extend the period of remission after June. We realised the fines from July 1 to today [October 7]. But the situation changed after the recent strike," a BRTA official told The Daily Star.

Khondaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, said many of his fellows could not reap the benefit of previous waivers because of coronavirus restrictions.

"Our demand is not illogical. The government will benefit when more people update the documents," said Enayet, also the owner of Ena Transport.

Rustam Ali Khan, general secretary of Bangladesh Truck Covered-Van Owners Association, said many members of the association could not update the papers because of the lockdown.

BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder said BRTA offices remained closed during the lockdowns, making it impossible for the motorists to get their papers updated even if they wanted to.

He added that the latest decision came after the finance ministry's approval.

Bangladesh Covered-Van, Truck, Prime Mover, Goods Transport Owners Association and Bangladesh Truck Drivers Workers Federation, observed a one-and-a-half-day strike from September 21 to press home their demands for the waiver among other things.

Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van, Tank Lorry, Prime Mover Owners and Workers' Coordination Council also announced similar programmes, but did not eventually observe, following government assurance to meet the demands.