Staff Reporter:
In an effort to reduce air pollution, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has sent a letter to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) requesting it to remove buses and minibuses
older than 20 years, and trucks and covered-vans older than 25 years from roads.
In addition, the ministry has asked BRTA to make emission testing mandatory in issuing fitness certifi-cates for old diesel-powered buses and trucks.
Several initiatives have been taken to control environmental pollution as per the instruction of Environ-ment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, a ministry press release said.
As part of these efforts, BRTA has been requested to take steps to remove vehicles that have exceeded their economic life and to ensure mandatory emission testing for old diesel vehicles during their fitness checks.
In line with the decisions made in the first and second meetings of the National Committee on Air Pollu-tion Control, the BRTA will take appropriate measures to remove unfit vehicles and those that have ex-ceeded their economic lifespan from the roads.
Emission testing will also be mandatory for old diesel-powered buses and trucks during fitness checks in Dhaka.
