Editorial
Drive against old vehicles
Let it not cause chaos for commuters
THE authorities launched a fresh drive against old vehi-cles on city streets yesterday. When the decision was made to go after vehicles that were between twenty and twenty-five years old, we welcomed the move, albeit with the suggestion that it be implemented in such a way that left commuters' movement undisturbed. We reiterate the same point today, for the particular reason that the drive against old vehicles must not in any way create any dislo-cation for the thousands of city dwellers who happen to use such transport on a daily basis while commuting back and from work.
The basic idea in all this move against old vehicles ought to be to put in place alternative arrangements for commuters. In this regard, it is important that the gov-ernment, especially the Bangladesh Road Transport Cor-poration (BRTC), clarify its actual transport position so that citizens have a fairly good idea of what to expect should a dislocation set in as a result of the drive. Equally important is the matter of what private transport owners can do to keep the momentum of daily commuting going for citizens. Of course, the drive will affect a good number of these transport owners themselves since it is their ve-hicles which have been plying on the streets for long. Even so, they must think of alternative arrangements of transport not only in the interest of citizens but also in their own economic interest. The point here is that while a drive against dilapidated vehicles is surely important, it is also necessary that the probable void that will be cre-ated by a sudden action against such vehicles is avoided or minimized as much as possible under the circum-stances.
Indeed, we believe (and we have said it earlier too) that rather than decree an end to all old vehicles on the roads at one go, the authorities should go for a phased pro-gramme that will allow them as well as private transport owners time to replace the vehicles that are put out of operation. That will be one way of averting the chaos which might otherwise be the result of any other kind of action. And let us say here that the drive against old vehi-cles must not be half-hearted. Earlier too we experienced similar drives, with everything fizzling out at some point. Let there be no repeat of the old inconclusive exercise in this fresh drive against old vehicles.
One last point: it is not merely dilapidated vehicles that ought to be the purpose of the drive, but an altogether wholesale measure aimed at ensuring that skilled, trained drivers are behind the wheels of public transport. Their knowledge of road regulations, their behaviour with pas-sengers as also with other road users, et cetera, must be part of the programme.
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