Car, SUV, microbus to get fitness clearance for 2yrs
From now on, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) will issue fitness clearance to cars, SUVs and microbuses for two years, instead of one -- much to the relief of owners.
Road Transport and Highway Division issued a circular in this regard on Sunday and BRTA is now updating their software to start providing the services within a few days, officials said.
“The decision has been taken to reduce hassles of vehicle owners while getting fitness clearance,” Lokman Hossain Mollah, director (engineering) of BRTA, told The Daily Star yesterday.
However, other vehicles will have to go through the annual fitness checkup, he added.
Lokman said owners of all types of vehicles can now renew fitness certificates from any BRTA office across the country. Earlier, a vehicle owner had to get clearance from the office the vehicle was registered with, he said.
Lokman said they started the facility from last month.
Vehicle owners have to face hassles as they have to wait for a long time at BRTA offices to have their vehicles tested. Shortage of inspectors and vehicle inspection centres puts huge pressure on BRTA staff members, which often causes mismanagement.
Taking benefit of this situation, brokers become active in and around BRTA offices and they in many cases create problems resulting in further harassment of vehicle owners. Currently, 109 vehicle inspectors are struggling to deal with checking fitness of around seven lakh vehicles in the country. BRTA has only one vehicle inspection centre (VIC) at its Mirpur office to check some elements digitally.
Some 100 commercial vehicles (buses and trucks) are tested there every day. Rest of the vehicles are inspected manually.
According to the circular, like the existing system, a brand-new car or SUV or microbus need not take fitness clearance for the first five years.
Afterwards, such vehicles have to renew their fitness for two years. Owners, however, have to pay fitness fees for two years at once, reads the circular.
Currently, a car or SUV or microbus owner has to pay Tk 450 and 15 percent VAT and 10 percent supplementary duty as inspection fee and the same amount as fitness fee annually.
Now, they have to pay the inspection fee once in two years, and two years’ fitness fee at one time, Lokman said. Owners can now pay all fees, tax token and advance income tax online, he added.
Till last year, a total of 43.01 lakh vehicles had registered with BRTA since independence. Of those vehicles, 5.34 lakh are cars, SUVs and microbuses.
Asked whether this decision can pose any safety risk, Kazi Md Shifun Newaz, assistant professor of Accident Research Institute of Buet, said, “Private cars usually get proper maintenance. I think fitness test after two years will not cause any safety risk.”
Newaz, however, said after a certain time -- may be 15 or 20 years -- such vehicles should go through fitness tests annually.
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