BRTA in a quandary over ‘sitting service’

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is in a dilemma over the fate of sitting and ‘gate lock’ bus services after its recent attempt to stop them in the capital ended in chaos and controversy. BRTA sources said that following pressure from all quarters, including political ones, the transport regulator was compelled to suspend the ban on sitting bus services for 15 days. A source disclosed that after BRTA enforced the ban under a joint initiative with the representatives of bus and minibus owners’ associations on April 15, a large number of buses and minibuses stayed off the roads. As per the present permit provisions for public vehicles, a bus service on a certain route cannot be stopped unless there was a valid reason approved by the regulator. The BRTA can cancel the route permit of a bus or minibus if it stops the service without getting the regulator’s validation.
Notwithstanding this, almost 40 per cent of the buses and minibuses did not come out on the roads for five consecutive days, creating large-scale inconvenience for commuters.
BRTA had even identified some of the bus services flouting the permit provisions, but could not take any action because of political pressure, the source said.
Talking to The Independent, BRTA’s enforcement director Nazmul Ahsan Mazumder said stopping the sitting service or ‘gate lock’ service was not their main target.
“Our main aim was to ensure that no extra money was being realised under the pretext of these services when the actual norm was
not being followed,” he said.
Mazumder, however, evaded a question on whether there was any political pressure in relation to action (or the lack of it) against the bus services that had stayed off the roads. “BRTA has designated a spokesperson to speak on the issue,” he added.
The designated spokesperson, BRTA’s director (road safety) Mahbub-e-Rabbani, too evaded the question. He simply said, “Where did you learn that there was any political pressure?”
Asked if they had information about the bus services that did not come out on the roads, he replied: “As a regulator, it’s BRTA’s job to get such information.”
“You are missing the main points here. The issue was not to stop the sitting service or to find the services that stayed off the roads. The main issue was to ensure that the buses and minibuses abided by the BRTA-approved fare chart and did not charge extra money,” he said.
Mahbub said the five mobile courts with BRTA at five different points have done that job by imposing fines on a number of buses for charging high fares.
“We are now thinking of finding feasible solutions to that problem. We have already held a meeting with the representatives of the bus owners’ association and we are scheduling another meeting with them in the coming week,” he added.
The BRTA spokesperson said sitting services were allowed to continue after bus owners at the meeting pointed out that stopping it would create great difficulties for elderly people and female commuters.
“Also, we have taken the opinion of the common people, and they don’t have complaints against sitting services. Rather, their grievances are against unjust fares and the overloading of sitting service buses,” he added.
Mahbub said BRTA was trying to formulate a legal framework to regulate the sitting service buses.
On their part, passengers felt the transport regulator was not sure what to do. Mozammel Haq Chowdhury, secretary general-of the Bangladesh Passengers Welfare Association, said, “The idea of forming guidelines to regulate the sitting service buses was not realistic. The monitoring activities will go on for few days, and then everything will go back to square one.” He added: “It’s a syndicate of owners and drivers, and they are strongly backed by politicians. The passengers are the victims here.”
Chowdhury said that no one from the passengers’ association was invited to the meeting where the decision of re-instating the sitting service for the next 15 days was taken. “I don’t know on what basis they took the decision. They completely ignored the passengers’ perspective.”
On the other hand, secretary-general of Dhaka Sharak Paribahan Samity, Khondoker Enayet Ullah, welcomed the proposal for a legal framework to regulate the sitting services in the city. “We will aid the BRTA on this,” he added.

BRTA in a quandary over sitting service

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is in a dilemma over the fate of sitting and gate lock bus services after its recent attempt to stop them in the capital ended in chaos and controversy. BRTA sources said that following pressure from all quarters, including political ones, the transport regulator was compelled to suspend the ban on sitting bus services for 15 days. A source disclosed that after BRTA enforced the ban under a joint initiative with the representatives of bus and minibus owners associations on April 15, a large number of buses and minibuses stayed off the roads. As per the present permit provisions for public vehicles, a bus service on a certain route cannot be stopped unless there was a valid reason approved by the regulator. The BRTA can cancel the route permit of a bus or minibus if it stops the service without getting the regulators validation. Notwithstanding this, almost 40 per cent of the buses and minibuses did not come out on the roads for five consecutive days, creating large-scale inconvenience for commuters. BRTA had even identified some of the bus services flouting the permit provisions, but could not take any action because of political pressure, the source said. Talking to The Independent, BRTAs enforcement director Nazmul Ahsan Mazumder said stopping the sitting service or gate lock service was not their main target. Our main aim was to ensure that no extra money was being realised under the pretext of these services when the actual norm was not being followed, he said. Mazumder, however, evaded a question on whether there was any political pressure in relation to action (or the lack of it) against the bus services that had stayed off the roads. BRTA has designated a spokesperson to speak on the issue, he added. The designated spokesperson, BRTAs director (road safety) Mahbub-e-Rabbani, too evaded the question. He simply said, Where did you learn that there was any political pressure? Asked if they had information about the bus services that did not come out on the roads, he replied: As a regulator, its BRTAs job to get such information. You are missing the main points here. The issue was not to stop the sitting service or to find the services that stayed off the roads. The main issue was to ensure that the buses and minibuses abided by the BRTA-approved fare chart and did not charge extra money, he said. Mahbub said the five mobile courts with BRTA at five different points have done that job by imposing fines on a number of buses for charging high fares. We are now thinking of finding feasible solutions to that problem. We have already held a meeting with the representatives of the bus owners association and we are scheduling another meeting with them in the coming week, he added. The BRTA spokesperson said sitting services were allowed to continue after bus owners at the meeting pointed out that stopping it would create great difficulties for elderly people and female commuters. Also, we have taken the opinion of the common people, and they dont have complaints against sitting services. Rather, their grievances are against unjust fares and the overloading of sitting service buses, he added. Mahbub said BRTA was trying to formulate a legal framework to regulate the sitting service buses. On their part, passengers felt the transport regulator was not sure what to do. Mozammel Haq Chowdhury, secretary general-of the Bangladesh Passengers Welfare Association, said, The idea of forming guidelines to regulate the sitting service buses was not realistic. The monitoring activities will go on for few days, and then everything will go back to square one. He added: Its a syndicate of owners and drivers, and they are strongly backed by politicians. The passengers are the victims here. Chowdhury said that no one from the passengers association was invited to the meeting where the decision of re-instating the sitting service for the next 15 days was taken. I dont know on what basis they took the decision. They completely ignored the passengers perspective. On the other hand, secretary-general of Dhaka Sharak Paribahan Samity, Khondoker Enayet Ullah, welcomed the proposal for a legal framework to regulate the sitting services in the city. We will aid the BRTA on this, he added.