Traffic situation improves on Dhaka-Mawa expressway

Traffic situation improved on the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Expressway at the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga route on Saturday as no long queues were seen before the toll collection booths.
 
Officials said more than Tk69.81 lakh was collected in 24 hours during the first 24 hours of toll collection on Friday.
 
"The overwhelming number of vehicles that used the expressway on Friday is due to the interest of the citizens to cross the Padma Bridge on a weekend," Roads and Highways Department (RHD) Executive Engineer (Munshiganj Zone) Nahyan Reza said.
 
"The pressure of vehicles might increase before Eid-ul-Azha," he added.
 
A five-kilometre-long tailback was created at the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga route on Friday – the first day of toll collection at the expressway -- causing drivers and passengers to suffer.
 
Slow-moving traffic was observed about kilometres away from the Dhaleshwari toll plaza in the early morning of Friday.
 
Nazrul Islam, manager of Dhaleshwari Toll Plaza on the highway, said the picture was different from what it was on Friday. Vehicles can cross the highway easily at both ends.
 
"As it was a weekly holiday on Friday, a good number of vehicles gathered at a time to cross the Padma Bridge and see the River Padma.  Moreover, there were some problems in toll collection software for a few minutes."
 
"After a short time, two technicians immediately solved the problem of computers or software. However, today there is no problem with the software," he added. 
 
A total of 26,064 vehicles used the 55-kilometre highway and crossed Bhanga and Dhaleshwari toll plazas in the last 24 hours. 
 
As per the rates, the toll for large buses is Tk295 and motorbikes will have to pay Tk20 for using the expressway. 
 
Besides, the toll for trailers has been fixed Tk1,015, heavy trucks Tk660, medium trucks Tk330, mini truck Tk250, minibus/ coaster Tk165, microbus, and pickup Tk130, four-wheeler vehicles Tk130, and private car Tk85.