To address the escalating fatalities and injuries from road accidents, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has decided to impound and scrap vehicles lacking up-to-date fitness certificates.

This decision was made during a meeting of the BRTA Advisory Council held on Wednesday, which is mandated by the BRTA Act to convene every four months. However, due to various factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the appointment of three council representatives, the meeting had not taken place since 27 August 2018.

During the meeting, stakeholders expressed unanimous support for banning vehicles deemed unfit for the road.

Additionally, the council decided to enforce a “no helmet, no fuel” policy nationwide and prohibit battery-operated auto-rickshaws and easy bikes on highways.

Following the meeting, Obaidul Quader, the committee president and minister of Road Transport and Bridges, said that transport owners have until 30 June after Eid-ul-Azha to ensure their buses are properly painted and have updated fitness certificates.

Quader emphasised the importance of implementing helmet policies nationwide, citing its success in Dhaka city. He also highlighted the need to regulate battery-operated rickshaws and easy bikes, banning them on Dhaka’s roads and 22 highways nationwide.

Shajahan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Workers Federation, called for broader stakeholder involvement in future meetings.

Additionally, Shahjahan Khan then inquired with the BRTA chairman about the number of pending licenses. The chairman stated that 3,79,000 license cards had not yet been issued. However, Shahjahan Khan contested this figure, asserting that it was closer to 7 to 8 lakhs.

During the discussions, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas proposed utilising the Matuail dumping ground for waste management, while Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam expressed concerns about the proliferation of Laguna and Easy bikes in the city.

Khandkar Enayet Ullah, president of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, advocated for scrapping unfit vehicles to encourage compliance among owners, noting that around 60% of bus owners in Dhaka also work as mechanics.

Finally, the secretary of the road transport highway department affirmed plans to promptly implement the three-wheeler and scrap policies.