BRTA wants route permits of 25 bus operators cancelled

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has called for the cancellation of route permits of 25 companies’ buses for repeatedly overcharging passengers.

A list of buses under those companies has been sent to Dhaka Metro Regional Transport Committee in order to take legal action, the BRTA said in a statement on Thursday.

The companies are - Basumati, Raida, Poristhan, MM Lovely, Anabil, Alif, Labbaik, Turag, Balaka, Shadhin, Projapoti, Rajanigandha, Shika, Akash, Ajmeri, Manjil, Prabhati Banasree, Asmani, Prochesta, Victor, Midline, D link, Rajdhani, Gulistan-Gazipur, and VIP Paribahan.

Following a nationwide transport strike sparked by a surge in fuel prices, the government hiked the fares charged by operators of diesel-powered buses by around 27 per cent.

In the capital, officials also launched mobile court drives in response to claims that public transportation companies were charging more than the fixed rate.

The BRTA mobile courts fined a total of 1,408 buses Tk 5.7 million between October 8 and December 9.

Among the buses, 80 are CNG-run and 1,328 are diesel-powered. Another 56 buses were sent to dumping stations for non-payment of fines and operating without route permits. 

A list of 25 bus companies has been compiled based on the executive magistrates’ report for repeatedly breaking the laws by charging extra charges, the BRTA said.