Eid journey less hectic: Road megaprojects start paying off

Nazmus Sakib, a private employee, managed a two-day leave for Sunday and Monday before the regular Eid holidays, set to begin on Tuesday. He travelled to his village, Borhan Uddin in Bhola, on Sunday afternoon to spend Eid with his family. His journey home was notably different this time thanks to the Padma Bridge.

Sakib told TBS, "This Eid journey felt like a dream. It took three hours to reach Barishal from Dhaka and another hour to reach Bhola. It is hard to believe that the journey took only four hours, which was about 8-10 hours in the pre-Padma Bridge era."

This is not just for holidaymakers travelling happily to 21 south and southwest districts across the Padma Bridge that ended their long nightmarish wait for a ferryboat for two years now. 

The gridlocks that seemed unending at some points on the Dhaka-Rangpur highway crossing the Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge until even last year, were not there this time.

The opening of eight overpasses and two bridges in Sirajganj ahead of Eid has made the journey to 16 northern districts smoother. Those were part of the 190km Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur highway project which will have more flyovers, overpasses and bridges, with an interchange at Hatikamrul, often cited as an accident hotspot due to road design which was later corrected.

M Abdul Wadud, the officer-in-charge of Hatikumrul Highway Police Station in Sirajganj, told TBS that three overpasses and a bridge have been inaugurated there, which greatly eased the Eid journey.

Mohsin Reza, who departed Dhaka on 8 April morning and arrived in Rangpur in just five hours, told TBS, "Even during regular times, I have not experienced such a comfortable bus journey. There was no traffic congestion along the entire route, and I reached home by afternoon."

The Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur highway project is a crucial part of the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (Sasec)-2 corridor, Asian Highway-2 BIMSTEC-2 and Saarc Highway Corridor-4.

On 6 April, on the same day of opening overpasses and two bridges in Sirajganj, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader also opened the newly built six-lane Meghna Bridge Toll Plaza-2 to make toll collection faster. 

An initiative is also underway to install electronic toll booths at Gumti Bridge on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, which left Eid traffic snarls behind in recent years. 

Road projects paying off

A railway overpass was partly opened in Feni before Eid in 2018 and that was a great relief for commuters on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. The country's first six-lane flyover was opened to traffic in Feni that year, and the second Meghna, Gumti and Kachpur bridges were built in parallel to existing ones in 2019, making Eid journeys smoother for 10 south-eastern districts.

Thousands of crores of taka have been spent on mega road infrastructure projects in recent years, they have started paying dividends, saving people's time and removing hassles, at the same time, reducing risks of accidents.

Apart from the Tk30,193 crore Padma Multipurpose Bridge and Tk19,000 crore Elenga-Hatikamrul-Rangpur highway expansion project, several other large-scale projects were implemented, fully or partially, during the last decade and a half. Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway involving Tk17,553 crore, the SASEC Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor worth Tk16,918 crore and the Tk10,689 crore Karnaphuli tunnel are among those projects.    

Moreover, metro rail, bus rapid transit, expressway, and flyover have made movement in the capital Dhaka easier, helping people to move faster to major exit points such as airports, rail stations, and bus and launch terminals.

An investment of roughly Tk135,000 crore in various infrastructure megaprojects, however, could not yet make Dhaka's average traffic faster as expected, because of lax enforcement of road discipline and weak traffic management, often causing traffic logjams at the entry and exit points.

As expansion works are still continuing, at places running behind schedule, people are not yet getting the full benefit of mega road infrastructure projects. The stretch of road between Nabinagar and Chandra on the Dhaka-Tangail highway is being widened and roadworks slow highway traffic sometimes. A sudden rush of workers from the industrial areas of Gazipur and Ashulia created a traffic gridlock on the road in the evening. Workers rushed for transport after getting wages and bonuses on the last working day before Eid, slowing traffic at some points in Gazipur and Chandra.

This happens because of the lax enforcement of highway disciplines and the sudden rush of commuters and vehicles during festivals.

The highway police said they were working round–the–clock to help vehicles move faster.

Are ticket hassles gone?

Fahima Begum, along with three family members, left Dhaka for Rajshahi by train on Monday. She had booked tickets online.

Before boarding the train, Fahima told TBS on Monday afternoon, "In the past, we had to endure standing in line for hours, even more than 24 hours, to secure a ticket. However, this time, there was no such ordeal. I was able to book my ticket online, and Kamalapur Railway Station was also not very crowded. Hopefully, the train will depart on time."

This Eid travel has become remarkably hassle-free not only for Nazmus Shakib, who is headed to South Bengal, or Fahima Begum, who travelled to North Bengal, but also for people from all regions of the country. 

Over the last few years, extensive development of highways across various parts of the country, particularly the Padma Bridge, a vital transportation link in South Bengal, has significantly reduced the hardships of Eid home-goers.

Before the Padma Bridge inauguration, launches from Dhaka's Sadarghat to the southern region were often overcrowded, leading to passengers even climbing onto the roof during Eid. 

Post-bridge, fewer passengers opt for launches, preferring the four-hour smooth road journey to Barishal. 

Transport sector insiders said various measures taken by the government like closing down schools early and introducing rosters for garment factories have eased Eid travel hardships in recent years. Additionally, increased police supervision on roads and highways during Eid has contributed to a reduction in chaos and congestion.

What were the road scenarios on Monday?

Passengers have reported reduced suffering in road, rail, and sea journeys this Eid compared to previous years. As of Monday, there were no reports of significant train delays. Despite increased passenger numbers on launches, there have been no reports of suffering thus far.

There have been no reports of gridlock on major highways such as Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet, Dhaka-Mawa, Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail.

Due to the upgradation of the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways, passengers travelling on these routes are experiencing comfortable journeys back home. Even the Chandra intersection, notorious for heavy congestion, was relatively free of congestion despite increased traffic pressure.

Transport stakeholders attributed the absence of gridlocks at Chandra intersection before Eid to the heightened presence of traffic policemen.

Nazmus Saqib Khan, additional superintendent of police for Gazipur district, told TBS, "Over 1,000 policemen are deployed in three shifts along the highway near Chandra. Vehicles are not permitted to stop on the road without a valid reason. Buses coming from Gabtali, Ashulia, Bypail, Savar, and Nabinagar areas are passing through the Chandra intersection smoothly en route to North Bengal."

Despite concerns regarding the 13-km two-lane road from Elenga to Bangabandhu Bridge, no traffic issues have been reported thus far.

Passengers said there were no tailbacks along the Tangail section of the highway. With two more days remaining until Eid, while the situation remains uncertain, they express optimism about a congestion-free road condition this time.

Md Moin, a bus driver heading to Bogura, told TBS, "Heavy congestion on this highway was expected before Eid. However, due to road improvements and administrative interventions, the road is now clear. There are no issues whatsoever."

Alamgir Ashraf, officer-in-charge of Bangabandhu Bridge East Police Station, said there is no congestion anywhere from Elenga to the bridge. Vehicles are moving at a normal pace on the highway, and law enforcement personnel are ensuring smooth traffic flow.

No gridlock was reported on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. Passengers travelling on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway are also experiencing a smooth journey back home.

Meanwhile, there has been a surge in passenger numbers at Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital. However, the majority of train passengers are content with departing for their destinations without facing any significant hardships.

Almost all trains departed from the station on schedule, except two trains, including Nakshikantha Express, on 8 April. 

Additionally, although initially sparse, passenger numbers on waterways have now increased to some extent as Eid approaches.

Monday morning, a Greenline Paribahan launch departed from Sadarghat for Bhola's Ilisha with 600 passengers onboard. Various sea routes, including Chandpur, also saw launches departing with passengers in the morning.

Launches bound for Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna, Rangabali, and Charmantaj routes arrived at the terminal in the afternoon and departed punctually. 

Launch owners said that if passenger demand continues to rise, they will increase the number of launches accordingly.

Eid journey accidents on the wane

According to the Bangladesh Passengers' Welfare Association, 328 people died and 565 were injured in 304 road accidents in the country in the 15 days before and after Eid-ul-Fitr in 2023.

According to the association's statistics, road accidents decreased by 18.20% last Eid, while fatalities decreased by 21.10% and injuries by 33% compared to the 2022 Eid.

A total of 355 people were killed and 620 injured in 341 road, rail and waterway accidents last Eid.

Experts said accidents have decreased during the last Eid due to improved road conditions and connectivity. Accidents may continue to decrease this Eid as well.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 25,000 people die in road accidents in Bangladesh every year. Annual GDP loss due to road accidents in Bangladesh is 5.3%.

According to the World Bank, road accidents cause an annual loss of Tk35,000 crore and is the fourth leading cause of death of children in Bangladesh.