Half of the buses running on roads across the country are old and dilapidated. The Motor Vehicle Scrap Policy remains ineffective, leading to an increase in accidents. The burden of rundown buses on the roads cannot be reduced, and successive government initiatives to address the issue have failed. The current government, like its predecessors, remains hostage to the demands of transport owners.
Although the government aims to restore discipline on the roads by removing old and unfit buses, progress has been slow. In October, the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges held a meeting with all stakeholders, directing transport owners to remove old buses within six months. According to ministry sources, there has been little visible progress in implementing these directives, as transport owners have imposed conditions on the government.
As of November, BRTA (Bangladesh Road Transport Authority) records show that there are 55,721 registered buses and 28,433 minibuses nationwide. However, not all these vehicles are in operation, and BRTA lacks specific data on how many buses operate regularly.
Sources indicate that buses older than 20 years must be completely removed from the roads. A list submitted to the Ministry of Environment includes 35,782 such buses, meaning 42.52% of all registered buses nationwide are unfit for operation. In Dhaka, 42,454 buses and 10,226 minibuses are registered, totaling 52,680 vehicles. Of these, 14,610 buses are over 20 years old. Despite this, on average, only about 4,000 buses operate daily in Dhaka. Some vehicles listed in the registry date back to 1972, and many buses listed no longer exist in reality.
There was a plan to reorganize buses in Dhaka under one company along 42 specific routes. The initiative aimed to stop buses only at designated spots, regulate working hours for transport workers, and introduce monthly salaries, thereby reducing unhealthy competition on the roads. However, the plan has not seen progress due to a lack of coordination.
Recently, the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) held a meeting with bus owners. It was agreed that buses would have a lifespan of 20 years. The DTCA will not provide loans for individuals to buy new buses, but it will assist companies in obtaining soft loans from banks if buses operate under a company system.
The previous government finalized a draft of the Motor Vehicle Scrap Policy 2023, which mandated the destruction of buses and minibuses older than 20 years and goods-carrying vehicles older than 25 years. A subsequent government notification led transport owners to actively resist the initiative. Later, a letter was sent to the ministry requesting a revision of the vehicle age limit. On August 5, the BRTA's Establishment Branch under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways announced the suspension of the notification.
Regarding this issue, Syed Rezaul Karim, Joint General Secretary of the Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association and Chairman of TransSilva Transport, stated, "With a coordinated effort, it is possible to operate quality buses in Dhaka. We also want better buses to operate and a business-friendly environment to be created."
Fauzul Kabir Khan, Advisor to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, mentioned that bus owners are being served notices via BRTA. "They also have financial dealings with banks. However, within six months, even a few token buses will be removed to send a clear message that this is not just empty talk. It will not be possible to remove all buses at once. The plan is to gradually phase out all old buses."
