Bangladesh had banned buses and trucks – which are in service for more than 25 years – from plying the country this May, in a bid to rid the air from black exhaust smoke pollution. The move was repelled in just three months due to pressure from transport owners and workers.
To no one’s surprise, the black exhaust smoke from unfit vehicles, especially older buses and trucks, are now choking the Dhaka air with pollution, bringing down the quality of air severely around the city hotspots, and putting the commuters’ health at risk.
According to a Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) report for FY23, the country currently has approximately 5.8 million registered motor vehicles, and the capital city alone has around 1.7 million of these vehicles, which is nearly 30 per cent of the total figure.
It should be noted that another BRTA report mentions a staggering 33 per cent of buses are unfit to ply to roads. Experts say the resurgence of black exhaust smoke polluting the Dhaka air mostly comes from unfit buses and trucks plying the road.
A grim situation
According to a study titled "Breathing Heavy: New Evidence on Air Pollution and Health in Bangladesh" published by the World Bank Group revealed that every year between 2018 and 2021, Bangladesh ranked as the most polluted country in the world, and Dhaka as the second most polluted city.
Meanwhile, WHO Representative to Bangladesh Dr Bardan Jung Rana says 240,000 people die annually in Bangladesh due to air pollution.
According to the country's Road Transport Act 2018 and Environment Protection Act 1995, the emission of noxious fumes detrimental to human health or the environment is classified as a violation, carrying the potential for fines as consequences.
According to the findings of Dhaka University's Air Quality Research and Monitoring Center, dilapidated vehicles are the primary source of black exhaust smoke, which is behind 50 per cent of the city’s air pollution.
TB Hospital Dhaka Assistant Director Dr Ayesha Akter said, “Children and the elderly are the most affected by black exhaust smoke emissions. In addition to long-term damage to the lungs, there is also a risk of developing cancer.
“Apart from this, the risk of deadly diseases such as high blood pressure, heart attack, asthma and stroke go up significantly as well.”
No portable equipment to test emissions
Experts say collaborative and synchronised endeavors are imperative to tackle the resurgence of black exhaust smoke, requiring elevated efforts from relevant agencies such as the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Dhaka north and south city corporations, and the Department of Environment (DoE).
They add that only through their concerted cooperation can tangible strides be taken to restore the quality of our air to a breathable state.
The DoE is responsible for coordinating efforts to reduce vehicle emissions, while the BRTA is responsible for inspecting vehicle fitness and issuing fitness certificates.
Speaking to The Business Post, BRTA Director (Operation) Md Lokman Hossen Mollah said, “We carry out mobile court operations led by a magistrate targeting unfit vehicles six days a week, and we impose fines accordingly.
“However, we currently do not have any portable equipment for measuring black smoke emissions from vehicles.”
Apart from these organisations, the two city corporations in Dhaka and the DMP also play a role in maintaining the city’s air quality.
What’s the solution?
Speaking to The Business Post, Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS) Director Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder said, “Buses that have been plying the city roads for more than 20 years are chugging out black smoke while climbing onto flyovers, due to unfit, old engines.
“As soon as any mobile court launches operations, the owners of these unfit vehicles somehow get a tip off, and take their vehicles off the roads.”
Dr Mohammad Abdul Quader, chairman of the Geography and Environmental Science Department of Jagannath University, said, “The owners and workers of public transports and trucks are taking advantage of the lax law enforcement.
“They usually use old and unfit engines in a new chassis and acquire fitness certificates from the BRTA. Dumping old vehicles and replacing those with new ones requires additional investments on their part, and the transportation owners are disinterested in making such investments.”
Transport owners are only concerned with making profits. The relevant authorities must focus on firm implementation of the existing laws to mitigate the health risks posed by black smoke emissions, he added.
Meanwhile, Director General of Department of Environment (DoE) Abdul Hamid said, “With the help of World Bank’s Bangladesh Environmental Sustainability and Transformation (BEST) Project, we are about to build Vehicle Emission Testing Centres (VETC) in four divisions.
“These facilities will help the DoE test vehicles for carbon emission.”
He added, “Any vehicle will not get a fitness certificate without a VETC test. The traffic police should also have portable equipment to check the emission quality of vehicles. The enforcement of existing laws should be our key focus.
“We must strictly enforce the Road Transport Act-2018 and Air Pollution (Control) Rules 2022.”
