Owners-Workers Drive: Vigilance team stops plying of 20 buses

A vigilance team of transport owners and workers yesterday stopped operation of all buses of Doyel Paribahan as those had been plying the Gulistan-Meghna (Comilla) route without proper documents.

“They won't be allowed to operate until they update their documents,” Samdani Khondaker, office secretary of Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association (DRTOA), told The Daily Star last night.

Samdani said around 20 buses of Doyel Paribahan had been operating without updated documents for the last three to five years.

“So our vigilance team at Gulistan took the decision,” he said.

Besides, three other vigilance teams checked documents of vehicles and drivers at several points in the capital yesterday.

Police filed 10 cases and impounded three vehicles after the teams found that those did not have updated documents, Samdani said.

The teams of transport owners and workers resumed their drives on Sunday after around a two-week Eid break.

On August 8, following the recent student protest demanding safe roads, DRTOA decided to abolish the system of daily contracts with drivers and helpers, holding it responsible for road accidents.

They also decided to check documents of drivers and vehicles at the terminals to stop driving without valid licences and prevent unfit vehicles from operating.

The next day, they formed four vigilance teams comprising of representatives of transport owners and workers to conduct the drives.