Dhaka: A total of Taka 3,38,52,900 was collected as toll at the Jamuna Bridge in the last 24 hours till last midnight, official sources said here today. A total of 48,355 different sorts of vehicles crossed the bridge during this period, with thousands of home-bound people from North Bengal traveling to celebrate Eid with their families. Despite the high volume of vehicles and passengers, there was no congestion reported on the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge Highway.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the BSS correspondent observed large crowds at Alenga bus station, Rabna bypass, and Ashekpur bypass, with many people waiting for transportation to reach their homes. Travelers were seen trying to board buses, trucks, pickups, and Legunas. Additionally, the roads experienced a significant number of private cars and motorcycles.
Md Ruhul Amin, a passenger heading to North Bengal, reported paying extra fare for his journey from Dhaka to Alenga, although he did not encounter any traffic congestion. Due to a shortage of public transport, many people resorted to boarding trucks and pickups. Md Riday, another passenger traveling to Bogura, shared similar experiences.
Engineer Ahsanul Kabir informed journalists that the bridge authority established 18 toll booths on both sides of the bridge to facilitate vehicle passage, excluding motorbikes, in order to alleviate traffic congestion. Four additional booths were set up specifically for motorcycles, with 9,163 motorbikes crossing the bridge during this time.
Mizanur Rahman, Superintendent of Police (SP) Tangail, stated that approximately 750 police personnel, including mobile and motorcycle teams, have been deployed on the Dhaka-Tangail highway to manage and reduce traffic congestion. These teams have been working tirelessly around the clock, enduring high temperatures during the day.