United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh recorded its highest-ever toll collection and vehicle movement on the Padma and Jamuna bridges during this year’s Eid travel rush, the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry said on Friday. According to the ministry, a record number of vehicles crossed the bridges, resulting in the highest-ever toll collection, thanks to coordinated management and well-planned measures to ensure smooth and safe journeys for homebound passengers during Eid-ul-Fitr. Between March 17 and 19, a total of 119,682 vehicles crossed the Padma Bridge in three days, significantly higher than 100,802 recorded during the same period in 2025. The bridge generated Tk 13.21 crore in tolls during these three days, compared to Tk 12.00 crore collected in 2025. Besides, the Jamuna Bridge recorded its highest-ever single-day traffic on March 18, with 51,384 vehicles crossing the bridge, surpassing the previous record of 48,368 in 2025. On the same day, toll collection on the Jamuna Bridge reached a record Tk 3.51 crore, exceeding Tk 3.46 crore collected during the previous year. Despite higher traffic pressure compared to 2025, the ministry claimed that there were no major accidents or severe congestion during the Eid period. The ministry attributed the success to several effective measures, including training and deployment of skilled toll collectors, operation of all toll lanes round-the-clock, expansion of motorcycle lanes, introduction of non-stop electronic toll collection (ETC), reopening of the Mawa bus bay, and enhanced traffic monitoring through surveillance cameras. Besides, steps such as opening the Elenga bus bay, deploying security guards at every 500 metres on the bridges, ensuring emergency medical support, and carrying out quick rescue operations using three wreckers including a heavy-duty rescue vehicle brought from the Karnaphuli tunnel helped maintain smooth traffic flow. Emergency toll lanes and distribution of iftar items to passengers were also part of the comprehensive management plan, the ministry added. END/UNB/MM/FH