Almost one-fourth of the buses plying across the country have no fitness certificates, found a recent study by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).
The study also found that 18.9% of the buses do not have registration, 18.5% of buses do not have tax tokens and 22% of buses do not have route permits.
The organisation published findings of the study on integrity in privately-owned bus transport business at the TIB office in Dhanmondi on Tuesday morning.
TIB researchers Nuruzzaman Farhad, Farhana Rahman and Mohammad Noore Alam presented the research report.
According to the study, 24% of all buses plying the streets of the country lack proper fitness.
Besides, although registration and three types of certificates are mandatory for every bus plying commercially on the road, according to 40.9% of bus staff and workers, one or more buses of the companies concerned lack some kind of certificate including registration.
There is no fixed wages for the country's 69% transport workers, the study also found.
According to the research report, bus workers have to work for about 11 hours a day. Among them 82% have no employment letter.
Regarding passenger service, TIB said 75.8% of the passengers who participated in the study, along with 48.0% of the workers and 51.8% of the bus owners, cited excessive speeding of buses as one of the main reasons for road accidents.
In the meantime, 22.2% of staff and workers said drivers operate buses under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
They also said 45.9% of bus helpers and supervisors in city bus services also work under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The rate is 19.2% in inter-district services.
TIB said due to lack of proper implementation of the guidelines, drivers use mobile phones while driving buses, resulting in accidents with fatalities.
The organisation also said there is a discrepancy between the road accident casualties data published by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and the data published by national and international institutions and media.
According to the BRTA data, a total of 5,024 people died from road accidents in 2023 is 5,024 while the Jatri Kalyan Samity puts the number at 7,902.
Private bus owners have to pay Tk 1,059 crore in bribes annually
The report also claimed that private bus operators have to pay at least Tk 1,059 crore as bribes annually.
A section of unscrupulous BRTA officials and staffers, police, transport associations, staffers of city corporations and municipalities and people affiliated with political parties realise the bribe and ransom, the report said.
"The estimate is very conservative. The real amount would be manifold," Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of the TIB, said at the conference.
"The sector is plagued by irregularities top to bottom. Political influence has kept it hostage, and as a result people are not getting expected services," Iftekharuzzaman said.
