Rising emission of black smoke from buses

Around five years ago, a study conducted by the esteemed chemistry department of the University of Dhaka found that motor vehicles powered by fossil fuels make up 50 per cent of all the contributors to air pollution in the capital city. The study also revealed that burning of straws, firewood, husks and small particles is responsible for 40 per cent of the air pollution. The use of coal in the brick kilns contributes the rest 10 per cent.

The situation, instead of improving during the last five years, has worsened, with motor vehicles being the major contributors. That's why it has become almost impossible to be on the roads of Dhaka for sometime without being engulfed by thick black smoke emitted by unfit buses. From dawn to dusk, thousands of these buses continue to emit black smoke, polluting the environment and causing harm to human health. On the roads and streets, buses are doing this mischief constantly with total impunity.

Generally, black smoke coming from motor vehicles is the outcome of incomplete combustion, often caused by faulty engine, poor fuel quality, or a malfunctioning fuel system. The emitted smoke consists of carbon particles (soot), which are harmful to both the environment and human health. The emissions contribute significantly to public health problems, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, while imposing substantial economic burdens on affected populations. Children and elderly people are the most vulnerable to the emissions.

The unfit buses are the major emitters of the thick black smoke. Nevertheless, it becomes a matter of disappointment that the emission of black smoke from the buses is growing day by day, and the authorities seem helpless to curb the pollution.  Except for some occasional drives launched against the unfit vehicles, there are no effective measures to curb pollution. The influential organisations of the transport owners and workers block any strong move to address the problem. These organisations use the nationwide strike as a tool to compel the authorities to compromise and withdraw any strict steps to restrict the movement of unfit vehicles.

The emission of black smoke from the buses is largely linked to unfit and older vehicles. Most public buses are not well-maintained due to the owners' unwillingness to spend, coupled with a lack of enforcement of laws. Therefore, the number of unfit buses on the roads has been increasing over the years, thereby exacerbating the rampant emission of black smoke. The government has repeatedly warned that those buses that have crossed a 20-year lifespan should be removed. However, the transport owners do not pay heed to the warning. Instead, the transport associations are now demanding that the lifespan of buses be raised to 30 years.

During the autocratic regime of Hasina, the transport sector became heavily criminalised with political backing and extensive extortion became a major source of income for several Awami League leaders and activists. The 'rent seekers', individuals who profit from illegal activities such as extortion, also became significant obstacles to disciplining the public transport sector and forced the authorities to allow unfit buses on the roads.  After the fall of Hasina on August 5, a new group of miscreants and extortionists gradually replaced the previous ones. The chaos on public transport continues and the interim government's weak intervention has made the situation worse.

Though there is a move to introduce electric bus service in Dhaka gradually replacing the dilapidated public buses, there is no visible progress in this regard. There was an announcement by an adviser of the interim government that e-buses would start plying the roads of Dhaka from July 1 this year. Almost three months have passed and the e-bus is still not there. The dream of clean green public transport in Dhaka city appears to be elusive. People will have to live with black smokes emitted by the ramshackle buses for many more years, it seems.

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