At least 3,000 outmoded and unfit small buses ply in the capital disregarding a ban under the very nose of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The communications ministry in collaboration with the traffic department of DMP in 2002 had imposed the ban on the plying of buses of more than 20 years of old in the capital to check environmental pollution, sources in BRTA said. The authorities also conducted a drive against such buses after imposing the ban and seized a good number of outmoded vehicles. As the drive was relaxed after a few months, such vehicles were back on the streets, the sources said adding that many of such buses have been converted into CNG-run engines. According to BRTA statistics, around 4,000 small buses having less than 36 seats, also known as minibuses, have been plying in and around the capital. Most of the buses are 15 to 20 years old and unfit, said a top official of BRTA, the transport sector regulatory body. In order to phase out 15-year-old unfit minibuses from the Dhaka City, the government issued a handout last week asking the owners of such minibuses to take their vehicles to other districts amending the documents. The government in the announcement also said these minibuses would be replaced by 52-seat CNG-run buses. Sources concerned apprehend that the decision would not be implemented as most of the banned 20-year-old minibuses plying different routes of the capital did not have proper documents. The owners are operating such vehicles managing the traffic inspectors, they said. In most cases, owners paint the bodies of the minibuses to give them a fresh look although the interior decoration, including seats, remains in a poor condition. Humayun Rashid Khalifa, director (engineering) of BRTA, said the minibuses which had changed their engines and converted their diesel-run engines into CNG-run would be provided fitness certificate under new criteria. The old and unfit buses are mostly plying in Juraine, Postagola, Sayedabad, Jatrabari, Demra, Shanir Akhra, Gulistan, Sadarghat, Keraniganj, Mirpur, Rampura, Sadarghat and Kamalapur. Officials of the BRTA and the DMP said drives were going on against the unfit vehicles; hundreds of cases were being filed and the drivers were being fined for not having valid and required documents. They, however, said the small amount of fine could not dissuade the owners from operating such vehicles. When contacted, the BRTA's deputy director (enforcement), Syed Mojibul Haque said a BRTA mobile court and a special team of BRTA and DMP were continuing drives against such vehicles as well as drivers having no valid licenses.