Tangail, 19 May (V7N) - With Eid-ul-Adha approaching, a flurry of activity is underway in Tangail as old, unfit buses and trucks are being hastily refurbished to cater to the anticipated surge in passenger and livestock traffic on the district's roads and highways. Garages are abuzz with workers painting, repairing, and overhauling these vehicles. Bus owners are keen to give their aging fleets a temporary facelift, hoping to capitalize on the increased travel demand during the Eid festivities.

At the Tangail bus terminal, preparations are in full swing to manage the influx of Eid travelers. Buses are being thoroughly cleaned, and their parts are undergoing superficial checks. The focus is on making the vehicles appear presentable and appealing.

Across Tangail city, from the Rabna bypass to the LGED intersection, a 'make-new' operation is evident in 8-10 garages. Similar scenes are observed in various parts of the district, including Elenga, Mirzapur, Gopalpur, and Bhuiyanpur. Old buses, many of which have been languishing in garages, are being painted, adorned with stickers, and having their windows, doors, and even broken body parts patched up with minimal steelwork. Alarmingly, a significant number of these vehicles lack valid route permits, engine fitness certificates, or insurance. Despite these critical deficiencies, owners are strategically planning to deploy these buses to maximize their earnings during Eid.

Amanullah, a worker at a Tangail city garage, noted a substantial increase in their workload during Eid. He explained that they repaint old buses, install lights and stickers, effectively giving them a day's "new" look under pressure from owners eager to get them back on the road before Eid.

Engine mechanics Abul Hossain, Rashid, Roni, and others mentioned that while they typically handle clutch plates, gears, engine oil, and wheels before Eid, their workload involving essential repairs is comparatively less this time. Owners are primarily seeking superficial servicing to earn extra income during the festival.

Car body mechanics Md. Kabir, Abdul Majid, and Abdur Razzak stated that they are repairing buses as instructed by their owners to make them appear roadworthy. This includes fixing windows and doors, installing lights, and making minor repairs to damaged bodies. They recalled working on 20-25 such buses before Eid-ul-Fitr and are now undertaking similar work for Eid-ul-Adha, focusing on aesthetics as per the owners' demands, even for vehicles lacking fitness certificates.

Painters Abdul Bashed, Nurul Islam, and Rafiq Hafez described their work of painting and applying stickers to make the buses look attractive. They believe passengers will be drawn to the fresh colors and stickers when these vehicles take to the roads.

Similar activities are reported in garages in Elenga and Kortia, where workers indicate that owners are prioritizing a pleasing exterior over substantial repairs.

The deployment of these unfit buses raises significant safety concerns for passengers. During Eid, Tangail experiences a high volume of traffic as people travel to and from Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, North Bengal, Mymensingh, and surrounding districts. The operation of unsafe vehicles on these routes increases the risk of accidents.

Passengers traveling on the Jamuna Bridge-Dhaka highway expressed their worries. They stated that paint cannot ensure safety and that the presence of unfit vehicles on roads and highways poses a serious threat. Many recounted experiences of boarding old buses with malfunctioning windows and doors and drivers operating with faulty brakes, leading to fear for their lives during the journey. College students Maidul, Shishir, and Nazmul, among others, lamented the difficulty of finding safe buses during the Eid rush and the compulsion to board these old, poorly maintained vehicles.

Former Tangail teachers Matiur Rahman and Azmat Ali pointed out the tragic trend of increased road accident fatalities during every Eid. They believe that proactive measures by the administration to prevent unfit buses from operating could save many lives.

A member of the Tangail District Bus and Minibus Owners Association acknowledged that some old vehicles are temporarily repaired to meet passenger demand but claimed that they try to ensure no bus is in extremely poor condition.

Firoz Ahmed Bachchu, President of the Tangail District Safe Roads Association (NISCHA), emphasized their commitment to road safety and expressed alarm over the persistent loss of lives in road accidents. He condemned the practice of putting unfit buses on the road solely for profit during Eid as immoral and illegal, urging the government and administration to take strict action before the festival. He mentioned their collaboration with traffic police and BRTA during Eid-ul-Fitr and their plans to be active on the ground for road safety during Eid-ul-Adha as well.

Shafiqul Islam Shafiq, former Sports and Cultural Affairs Secretary of the Tangail District Bus Minibus Owners Association, stated that their association has around 800 vehicles and generally discourages unfit vehicles from operating. He claimed that most of their vehicles are fit, with a maximum of 150-200 potentially unfit. He asserted that they do not permit vehicles that break down frequently, are accident-prone, or are otherwise unsafe.

Iqbal Hossain, former president of the same association, estimated that 98 percent of vehicles in Tangail are fit, with the remaining 2 percent being unfit, whom he also discourages. He stated that there should be no opportunity for unfit vehicles to operate.

Sheikh Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, Assistant Director (Eng:) of BRTA Tangail Region, reported that they conduct regular raids twice a week. In the last four raids, 24 vehicles faced legal action, and fines totaling Tk 53,500 were collected. However, he admitted that monitoring all routes simultaneously during Eid is challenging, as many buses operate outside the city to pick up passengers, evading detection. He assured that they have planned daily regular drives during this Eid-ul-Adha and will take necessary action against vehicles lacking fitness marks.

END/BVT/RH/