BRTA plans 7 new vehicle inspection centres under Tk475cr project
According to the Development Project Proposal (DPP), the five-year project - running from July 2025 to June 2030 - will set up modern inspection centres in Mymensingh, Cumilla, Rangpur, Chattogram, Sylhet, Noakhali, and Khulna
Highlights:
- BRTA to build seven new emission-testing centres nationwide by 2030
- Project adds 25 lanes, mobile VICs, and emission units
- Tk475 crore World Bank–backed project awaits Planning Commission approval
- New centres boost inspection capacity by 15% nationally
- Nationwide emission database planned to support cleaner transport policies
- Transport emissions drive severe health risks and urban air pollution
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is set to establish seven new Vehicle Inspection Centres (VICs) across the country under the World Bank–funded "Bangladesh Clean Air Project (BCAP) Phase-1: Component 2.1 – Vehicle Emission Control" project.
According to the Development Project Proposal (DPP), the five-year project - running from July 2025 to June 2030 - will set up modern inspection centres in Mymensingh, Cumilla, Rangpur, Chattogram, Sylhet, Noakhali, and Khulna.
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The new centres will add 25 testing lanes to the national inspection network, alongside five mobile VICs and 20 mobile vehicle emission testing units to support roadside enforcement and mobile court operations. The project also includes seven five-story buildings, dedicated VIC garages, and training for 400 BRTA officials to enhance institutional capacity.
The DPP of the Tk475.36 crore project, with Tk 40.96 crore from the government and Tk 434.40 crore ($36.2 million) from the World Bank as loan, has already been submitted to the Planning Commission for approval.
BRTA officials said the agency currently faces significant constraints - including limited infrastructure, insufficient logistics, a shortage of technical personnel, and low awareness among vehicle owners. Only one of the five VICs in Dhaka is operational, they added.
Under the project, BRTA will also establish a nationwide vehicle emission database through the BRTA Information System (BRTA-IS), which will support policymaking on greenhouse gas reduction, vehicular emission standards, and long-term air quality management.
According to the DPP, Bangladesh has an estimated 6.2 million vehicles, including 4.5 million motorcycles. Of the 1.29 million vehicles requiring mandatory emission control testing, 519,000 will fall within the coverage area of the proposed seven VICs.
With the existing 12-lane the Mirpur VIC can inspect 92,160 vehicles annually, which is 7.4% of the total vehicle fleet requiring inspection, leaving a 92% gap between inspection demand and current capacity.
Once operational, the new VICs and mobile units will be able to inspect an additional 230,400 vehicles annually, raising total lane capacity to 42 and boosting inspection capacity by 15%.
Officials said that with vehicle registrations expected to rise steadily, more inspection lanes will be required in the future. If testing capacity remains unchanged, by 2050 the existing centres will service only 3% of vehicles requiring inspection. Any future regulations mandating inspection for motorcycles and rickshaws would further increase demand, as motorcycles make up 68% of the total fleet.
Swadesh Kumar Das, deputy director, BRTA, told The Business Standard that the implementation of the project will enable BRTA to conduct vehicle fitness using equipment such as speed tester and brake tester in each division including Dhaka. We will be able to ensure road safety and cut emission through emission testing, he added.
Transport emissions pose a major public health threat
The DPP notes that Bangladesh remains one of the world's most air-polluted countries, with urban air quality deteriorating sharply during the dry season. Air pollution contributes to chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer, heart disease, and other serious illnesses, causing more than 159,000 premature deaths in 2019. Vulnerable groups—particularly women, young children, and the elderly—are disproportionately affected, while pollution undermines urban livability and economic productivity.
The proposal identifies the transport sector as a major source of air pollution in cities. Rapid motorisation, an aging vehicle fleet, high-sulfur fuels, and weak emission control systems contribute to harmful emissions including PM2.5, SOx, NOx, VOCs, and CO₂, significantly impacting public health and environmental quality.
