Most of the public transports in the city are in dilapidated condition and many of them seem to be operating without any fitness certificates.

Such unethical practice of operating public transports is also putting lives of the passengers in danger as many of the vehicles allegedly lack safety clearance for running on the roads.

This correspondent visited around the city and found that the color of most of the buses have been damaged and faded, some have broken glasses and some have no doors.

Inside many of the buses, the conditions are even worse. The seats are too small and dirty to sit on. Piercing sharp metals often protrude from seats which appear to be dangerous especially when sitting or leaving seats. The passages inside are also too narrow to allow incoming and departing passengers make ways.

Dr Shamsul Haque, an academic of Civil Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) and an expert on road and transportation infrastructures, said, “I will not blame the drivers. I will blame those who approve the vehicles for running on the roads. They are creating this unhealthy competition situation.”

“An organization called Dhaka Chaka is running buses in Gulshan. There, the passengers are boarding the buses according to the rules. All Dhaka Chaka have safety precaution and so accidents are very rare. If it is possible in Gulshan, why not in the rest of the capital? In fact, the initiative is needed,” he added.

However, bus owners are taking this opportunity as there is no effective enforcement. Even two decades ago, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) used to determine the specific color for public transport according to the route in the capital Dhaka.

At present, most of the 30,000 buses plying on 291 routes in the capital are in dilapidated condition. Many of them run with engines which are too old or replaced.

Most of the buses, as noticed by this correspondent, have broken glasses, some have no looking glass while some are running without bumper.

Although some of the vehicles were not wrecked, the color turned ugly due to competing with other vehicles while plying on the road. Several such buses were seen stuck in traffic at Mouchak and Moghbazar intersection in the capital.

A senior official of the traffic department said on condition of anonymity that the rundown buses are given fitness certificates by the BRTA. For this reason, no fine can be imposed.

Khandaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, said, "We have started work under the leadership of Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Nur Taposh to restore order in public transport in the capital. In a few days, a pilot project will be launched to bring back order in the road.”