High Court questions BRTA, police's role in traffic management

The High Court has questioned the role of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, or BRTA, and police in traffic management as unregistered, unfit vehicles move freely on the streets.

It has ordered authorities to streamline the road transport system.

“How come the unfit, unregistered vehicles move freely before the eyes of police? This cannot go on. It has to come under a system.

Maybe this is why many people are dying in the streets,” said a judge of the two-strong bench on Monday.

The observation came from the bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukdar and Justice KM Hafizul Alam during a hearing on a progress report of the implementation of the court orders regarding unregistered and unfit vehicles, and unlicenced drivers.

The court has ordered BRTA to submit a list of the names and details of the owners having registered but unfit vehicles. It also ordered the agency to submit the list of drivers who have not renewed their licence.

The court has asked for a report on disciplinary actions taken by the BRTA against those owners and drivers within a month and set the issue for the next hearing on Jul 23.

Director at BRTA Road Safety Division Mahbub-E-Rabbani appeared in court and the court issued the rulings on hearing him.

Deputy Attorney General AKM Aminuddin Manik and Assistant Attorney General Helena Begum China represented the state.

Moin Ferozi and Rafiul Islam were the legal counsels for the BRTA while Mamum Mahbub represented the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Ferozi presented a report on behalf of the BRTA director at the hearing.

There are 458,369 registered but unfit vehicles in the country with 168,308 of them being in Dhaka city, the report said.

“You can’t just draw your salary and shirk your responsibility,” Justice Nazrul Islam Talukdar told BRTA representative as he stressed the point to bring back discipline in the road transport sector.

“What does BRTA do? Why does it have to appear in court? Why does the court need to issue an order? You should love the country. Please do something for the country,” he remarked.

They presented the information to the court on those vehicles that do not have their fitness renewed and those drivers who do not have their licence renewed, counsel Ferozi told the media. 

“The court has ordered submission of district-wise statistics by Jul 23 and also inform the court abour the measures taken by BRTA.”

The High Court issued an order with a ruling on Mar 27 after a report titled ‘No fitness docs, yet running’ was published by a newspaper.

The court ordered BRTA director Rabbani to appear in court on Jun 24 and explain the issue.

It also asked for a report on unfit, unregistered vehicles and drivers without licence throughout the country.

It issued a rule asking why the defendants’ failure and negligence in stopping the unfit, unregistered vehicles on streets will not be declared illegal.

The road transport and bridges secretary, home secretary, police chief, BRTA chairman, deputy commissioners of Dhaka Traffic Police and BRTA road safety division director were asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.