Hitting the road with unregistered vehicles in Bangladesh is widespread and the situation is getting worse as some government agencies have started doing the same, caring little about the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) rules.       

“Traffic on our roads is already chaotic, and things are unlikely to improve when government agencies fail to abide by traffic rules. General people feel encouraged to defy rules when they find government agencies as traffic offenders,” Prof Md Shamsul Hoque of Buet’s Department of Civil Engineering, told UNB.   

Different modes of vehicles, especially motorbikes, of various government organizations or its employees are seen plying the streets in the capital violating the BRTA rules without any obstruction.   

Read: Introduce customer-friendly electric vehicle recharging policy: Nasrul

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) law 2018 states that if a vehicle plies the road without registration, it may be confiscated and fined. “However, the question arises how a vehicle used by a government agency or employee runs without registration,” he said.  

Considering the safety of the general public, the BRTA law has been made more stringent, but some government agencies, especially several members of the law enforcement agencies, are caring little about it, Prof Hoque bemoaned.  

As per law, the registration of every vehicle is a must and it is a universal practice. “I don’t know how BRTA allows vehicles to ply without registration. It’s not acceptable in any way,” he said.  

Vehicles without number plates of various ministries, including the police, fire brigade, emergency power, CID, DB and RAB men driving those using engine numbers or in the name of their respective organizations. “There’s a plate but no registration number which is ridiculous,” the transport expert said.   

According to statistics of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the number of total registered various types of vehicles in the country is 48,69,490 as of September 30 last. Among those, motorcycles account for the highest number of 33,76,214. Of the total registered vehicles, 17,33,193 are from Dhaka, the national capital.

Contacted, Director (Enforcement) of the BRTA Md Sarwar Alam, said it is mandatory to take registration from the BRTA for plying any kind of vehicle on the street. However, only defence transport can take registration from their own relevant authorities, but in the case of personal or commercial purposes, having registration from the BRTA is a must, he said, adding that plying vehicles without registration is a punishable offence.   

Read: Hasina cancels PMO’s vehicle procurement plan, diverts fund to public healthcare

According to Sub-Section 6 under Section 16 of the BRTA Act, 2018, no person, organization or owner of any motor vehicle is allowed to drive or operate a motor vehicle without the registration number plate attached to it and displayed.   

The sub-section 6 under Section 13 of the BRTA Act, 2018 states that the registration of motor vehicles used by the defence forces shall be done by the authorities concerned in their own manner and such registration shall be applicable to the operation of motor vehicles across Bangladesh.   

The BRTA law says if a person violates the provisions of section 16 under the BRTA Act, 2018 that is an offense and the offenders shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or with a fine not exceeding Tk 50,000 or by both.   

Replying to a question, Sarwar Alam said BRTA conducts mobile courts led by its executive magistrates against vehicles plying the streets. If a mobile court finds an unfit vehicle or other valid documents of registered vehicles expired, the magistrate fines the vehicle or sends it for dumping though BRTA has no dumping ground of its own. “So, the mobile court faces difficulties in taking action against unregistered vehicles.”   

In response to another question, he said BRTA mobile courts sent 202 vehicles to the dumping ground and fined Tk 6 crore in FY 2018-’19 alone.   

A BRTA official requesting anonymity told UNB, “Sometimes they see unregistered vehicles plying the streets in the name of different government agencies, especially law enforcement agencies, but they avoid enforcing law in such cases. “Even members of traffic police also avoid taking action though it’s mandatory to have registration both by private and government agencies.”   

Read: Hybrid vehicles key to India’s electric shift, Schaeffler says

Contacted, Additional Commissioner (Traffic) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Md Munibur Rahman said sometimes law enforcement agencies or their members use unregistered vehicles due to insufficient number of vehicles but they do it taking special permission from the authorities concerned for emergency reasons like controlling law and order and ensuring public interest. In such cases, the stickers of their respective agencies like CID, DMP, DB etc are used.”   

In many cases, he said, legal action is taken by traffic police if someone is caught trying to take the opportunity of using unregistered vehicles.