The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has been collecting a Tk45 fee from vehicle owners for a windshield sticker that confirms their vehicle's fitness, even though no such stickers are being provided for the past few years.

This practice, which is going on without a public apology or a halt in the charges, has led to millions of taka being collected for a non-existent service.

Sources at BRTA said the sticker or label fee, which is paid electronically, is charged during fitness tests. A private company – Computer Network System (CNS) – manages the payment gateway.

Former BRTA Director (administration) Kamrul Islam Chowdhury, who has been transferred to the Ministry of Food, recently took an initiative to send a letter to CNS asking it to stop the charging of the fee but later it was not sent for unknown reasons, said officials concerned.

Talking to the Daily Sun, Mohammad Mafizur Rahman, a vehicle owner who got a fitness certificate in May this year, said, “I have submitted the fee through the bank; so, I did not know why Tk45 was charged. I got no sticker or label for my car.”

“People in Bangladesh get into fist fights over Tk5 inside buses when bargaining over fare, but BRTA is charging Tk45 without providing any service. If common people take this into account seriously, then BRTA officials may face their wrath,” he also said.

Wishing anonymity, a top BRTA official said, “BRTA has not been providing vehicle windshield decals (stickers) since 2023-24. Providing 10 lakh fitness certificates means overcharging the vehicle owners Tk4.5 crore without providing them any windshield sticker. Still, no step has been taken in this regard.”

He also said, “Many people are not aware that they are being charged but not getting the stickers as it is out of stock. Besides, there is no necessity of providing the sticker and charging for it when you are selling RFID tags (Radio Frequency Identification tags) for digital verification of documents. The label was introduced because it would enable the police to become assured that the vehicle is okay with regard to fitness.”

Sources said currently the police do not have the device needed to check RFID tags digitally.

According to BRTA data, a total of 5.64 lakh fitness certificates were issued in 2021-22 and 6.85 lakh in 2022-23.

According to the BRTA documents, Indian company Manipal Technologies Limited was awarded a contract involving Tk7.19 crore for supplying High Security Vehicle Windshield Decal (Label/ Sticker) in May 2022.

Under the contract, the company supplied only 10 lakh stickers or labels in September 2022, but did not provide any more under the contract.

Regarding the matter, Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan told the Daily Sun, “As they are not giving the specific service, they cannot charge people for the purpose. I will instruct the BRTA chairman not to charge the fee to vehicle owners.”

BRTA Chairman Abu Momtaz Saad Uddin Ahmed could not be reached while visiting BRTA head office on 18 September or over his official mobile number.

The reporter can be reached at: [email protected]

Edited by Mohammad Mamunur Rashid