Eid holiday rush triggers risky rides on highways

A rush of holidaymakers journeying for Eid-ul-Fitr festivities has led to a surge in traffic on the highways.

Alongside buses, people headed to their hometowns and villages in the northern districts risked their lives by travelling by pickup vans, trucks and covered vans on Monday, reports bdnews24.com.

Abdur Rahman, a Bogura-bound passenger travelling on a pick-up van, said at Elenga CNG Station that he took the vehicle as it is much cheaper than bus. The trip to Bogura from Dhaka’s Amin Bazar cost him Tk 200.

As many as 17,742 vehicles crossed Bangabandhu Bridge in the 12 hours to Monday noon, nearly double the number in usual times, said Ahsanul Kabir Pavel, executive engineer of the site.

Toll collection has also increased as the number of vehicles rose on Sunday and the tolls are expected to remain high until the final day of Eid trip, he said.

However, no holdup was seen from Kalihati Upazila’s Elenga to Mirzapur Upazila’s Jamurki end of the highway.

The 14 km stretch of the highway from Elenga to Bangabandhu Bridge was made one-way at Sunday midnight due to increased pressure of traffic, said Tangail Traffic Police Inspector Rafiqul Islam Sarkar.

Dhaka-bound vehicles were diverted via Bhuiyanpur Upazila to Elenga until 6am, he said.

Police personnel have been deployed at every point of the highway as the crowd is expected to rise further due to the start of the Eid holidays at public and private offices and factories after Monday evening, the officer added.

COMFORT ON DHAKA-CTG HIGHWAY

Despite concerns over possible traffic jams, Eid holidaymakers are travelling home in comfort on the Dhaka-Cumilla-Chattogram Highway. The route has not seen any major congestion yet like in previous years.

 “The pressure of vehicles was less on the route on the fourth day of Eid trips but it might rise on Tuesday following the start of holidays at garment factories. All kinds of preparations have been made to ensure comfortable Eid trips,” Moynamoti Crossing Highway Police Station chief Iqbal Bahar said.

Around a 100 km stretch of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway lies in the Cumilla district. This part of the highway was completely free from traffic jams from Monday morning to noon..

Markets along the highway, slow-moving three-wheeler vehicles, random car parking and stoppage, jaywalking, wrong-side driving, and toll plazas might create tailbacks on the route, police had feared.

However, no such congestion was reported.

Abdul Gaffar, who travelled to Cumilla Sadar from Dhaka, said, “I arrived in a short time. There was no traffic jam anywhere on the road. I saw a few vehicles on the road. The entire trip took only two and a half hours.”

Other passengers with Gaffar were also happy after reaching their destinations in a short time.

 “Traffic was slow at Narayanganj’s Kanchpur, Madanpur, Sonargaon and Meghna toll plaza while returning from Dhaka. But there was no problem in Cumilla,” said bus driver Abul Kashem.

 “I have arrived at Cumilla just in two hours and 20 minutes. I never thought it was possible to make it in such a short time amid the Eid rush. There was no congestion anywhere,” said Shahnaz Akhter, a bus passenger dropped at Cumilla’s Jangalia Bus Stand.

HIGH FARES ON EID

Passengers on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway and Nabinagar-Baipail route alleged they had to pay two or three times more than usual as holidays began at factories in Savar’s industrial zone.

The vehicles are moving slowly on the highway in this area as the workers waited on the road amid a transport crisis.

The road from Baipail to Kaliakair has become narrow due to the construction of the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway, causing traffic congestion.

In addition to Dhaka district police, highway and traffic police, administration officials were also seen at different points of the road to curb the suffering of the home-bound passengers. Police also used drones to monitor traffic conditions at various places.

EID TRIPS ON TRUCKS AT HIGHER FARES

Due to a transport crisis in Gazipur, Eid holidaymakers from factories risked their lives by taking trucks and pick-up vans to travel home, and many of them were overcharged.

More than 20 trucks and pick-up vans were waiting for passengers on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway around 2pm. The workers used stools for the passengers to get on the trucks.

Jony, a driver’s assistant who gave a single name, said the truck is used to transport sand for construction from Mymensingh to Gazipur throughout the year. But the owner and the driver decided to carry passengers as they did not have work from the builders during Eid.

They were asking Tk 450 per passenger from Bhabanipur to Mymensingh’s Phulpur. “We are taking passengers at minimum Tk 400,” Jony said.

 “Our income comes to a halt a few days before Eid. Transporting passengers helps us to spend well during the festival,” said Ashraful, another truck worker who also gave a single name.

Pickup driver Alamgir Hossain said they are taking Tk 350 to transport passengers from Gorgoria Masterbari to Mymensingh.

Mahbubur Rahman was waiting at Bagher Bazar area for a Netrokona-bound bus along with his family.

 “Almost all Mymensingh-bound buses from Dhaka were full of passengers. I was not able to board them with my family. After waiting for a long time and not getting a bus, I was forced to take a pickup to Mymensingh bypass at Tk 150 per head,” he said.