Impact of strike-blockade on 3 bridge tolls

Due to strike and blockade called by BNP-Jamaat, there is less traffic on the highway; And because of this, the toll collection on one of the three bridges of the country has decreased.

However, despite the blockade, thousands of short- and long-distance vehicles are plying. Meanwhile, the passenger car is running; Similarly, cargo transportation is also going through these three bridges.

However, the owners cited safety and lack of passengers as reasons for not driving during the strike.

BNP-Jamaat has called for morning-evening hartal in the country on October 29 to protest against the banning of the mass gathering. The previous day on October 28 was the rally of BNP and Awami League in the capital. Massive clashes took place around the BNP convention. Basically panic spread from this day.

From the evening before the hartal, there were attacks, vandalism and arson on various important highways of the country including Dhaka. Mainly due to this panic, the traffic on the Padma Bridge connecting the capital to the south-western region, the Bangabandhu Bridge on the Dhaka-North Bengal route and the Meghna-Gomti Bridge on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway has decreased.

According to Bangladesh Bridge Authority data, 1 lakh 27 thousand 105 vehicles crossed the Padma Bridge in nine days from October 28 to November 5. 15 crore 74 lakh 67 thousand 950 taka has been collected in this.

According to the information provided by Additional Director of Bridge Authority Amirul Haider Chowdhury, 16 thousand 707 vehicles ply on Padma Bridge on October 25. The total toll collected is 2 crore 11 lakh 97 thousand 200 taka. On October 26, 2 crore 31 lakh 76 thousand 950 taka and on 27 October 2 crore 62 lakh 67 thousand 400 taka were collected.

But from October 28, the traffic on Padma Bridge started to decrease. 11 thousand 402 vehicles run on this day. Toll collection is 1 crore 44 lakh 42 thousand 50 taka.

On October 29, the day of the hartal, the number of vehicles on Padma Bridge decreased. 10 thousand 356 cars ran on this day. And the toll collected is 1 crore 26 lakh 24 thousand 450 taka.

There was no strike or blockade on 30 October. On that day, the traffic on Padma Bridge increased again. Total toll collected from 18 thousand 819 vehicles is 2 crore 46 lakh 21 thousand 650 taka.

BNP-Jamaat called for 72-hour total blockade from 6 am on October 31 as part of a series of strike programmes; Which runs till November 2.

Statistics say that a total of 32 thousand 554 vehicles travel through the Padma bridge in three days from October 31 to November 2. And the toll collected is 3 crore 96 lakh 70 thousand 600 taka. An average of 1 crore 32 lakh 23 thousand 533 taka was collected daily.

But November 3 was a Friday; There was no political program on the holiday. As a result, 22 thousand 706 vehicles moved through Padma Bridge on this day. From which 2 crore 78 lakh 77 thousand 700 taka is collected in one day.

This continued on the next day, November 4 (Saturday). 2 crore 44 lakh 89 thousand 800 taka was collected from 20 thousand 234 vehicles on Padma bridge.

When the blockade was called again from November 5 (Sunday), the traffic on the Padma Bridge started to decrease. 1 crore 37 lakh 41 thousand 700 taka was collected from 11 thousand 4 vehicles.

Almost the same situation can be seen in the case of toll collection of Bangabandhu Bridge and Meghna-Gomti Bridge.

Ahsan Habib Pavel, Executive Engineer of Bangabandhu Bridge, said that all types of traffic on the highway was normal as there was no blockade program of political parties on Saturday. On this day, 10 thousand 655 vehicles from Dhaka to the north passed through the east toll plaza of Bangabandhu Bridge. 1 crore 11 lakh 1 thousand 950 taka has been collected in toll.

On the same day, 11 thousand 51 Dhaka-bound vehicles crossed the west toll plaza of the bridge. 96 lakh 48 thousand 700 taka has been collected in toll.

On the other hand, due to the blockade program of the political party on Sunday, the movement of vehicles on the highway was disrupted. On this day, 7 thousand 945 vehicles from Dhaka to the north passed through the east toll plaza of the bridge. 76 lakh 42 thousand 300 taka has been collected in toll.

On the same day, 6,002 Dhaka-bound vehicles crossed the west toll plaza of the bridge. 51 lakh 19 thousand 200 taka has been collected in this toll.

Engineer Ahsan Habib Pavel also said that the gap between the blockade and normal days was 7 thousand 759 vehicles. And the difference in the amount of toll collection was 69 lakh 99 thousand 150 taka.

The Narayanganj office of the Roads and Public Ways Department (SOAZ) said that there was a blockade on Monday; 74 lakh 43 thousand taka was collected on that day 22 thousand 472 vehicles crossed

There was no siege on Sunday the day before; On that day, 1 crore 19 lakh 67 thousand taka toll was collected from 40 thousand 154 vehicles

Shahana Ferdous, Executive Engineer of Narayanganj of SOAZ, said, “In normal times, the toll plaza of Meghna-Gomti Bridge (Meghna Toll Plaza) collects more than crores of rupees daily.”

When asked about the low movement of vehicles on the road, Atiqur Rahman Atiq, General Secretary of Sirajganj District Bus, Minibus and Coach Owners Association, said, “A few buses are plying on internal roads even during the blockade. But due to lack of passengers and lack of safety, the owners of long-distance buses do not want to put the buses on the road.

“Such a situation is not only in Sirajganj, but all over the country”, said Atiq.